


Pregnant Lady Kicks Predator Butt

by welcometothisday



Series: Pregnant Lady Kicks Predator Butt [1]
Category: Alien vs Predator (2004), Aliens vs Predators Series - Various Authors, Predator Original Series (1987-1990)
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Romance, Attempt at Humor, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Babies, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Consensual Kink, Consent, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Humor, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, M/M, Mischief, Profanity of a Creative Nature, Size Difference, Slow Burn, Smut, Teratophilia, Yautja, confused flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:00:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 107,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22253053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/welcometothisday/pseuds/welcometothisday
Summary: Trapped in a public health facility, a human woman decides to take matters into her own hands to keep her and her unborn child safe...All the while cursing profanity of all kinds, and as the title implies, kicking butt.WARNING: Language and Graphic Depictions of Violence...It's Predator, what do you expect?
Relationships: Scar/Alexa Woods, Yautja (Predator)&Original Character(s), Yautja (Predator)/Original Character(s), Yautja (Predator)/Original Female Character(s), Yautja/Human
Series: Pregnant Lady Kicks Predator Butt [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1723012
Comments: 425
Kudos: 640





	1. Fuck Mondays

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Ooman](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4952218) by [Poetgirl616](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poetgirl616/pseuds/Poetgirl616). 
  * Inspired by [Yautja (Predator): "____" Would Include...](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17527274) by [BOOdalinski](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BOOdalinski/pseuds/BOOdalinski). 
  * Inspired by [Trial By Fire](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16092881) by [SolainRhyo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolainRhyo/pseuds/SolainRhyo). 



> I really need to update other fics (curse you hyperfixations), but I just had a dream about this scenario, so...
> 
> Hope you have as much fun reading as I did writing!
> 
> EDIT: The story has a playlist.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CNPR2qNzxk&list=PLsoGwbd52bR6sknzLWUxxsw72yQlp4qC8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write a character/scenario that would make Predators uncomfortable, and maybe a little afraid of. Let me know if I succeeded.
> 
> EDIT: This story was not originally meant to be taken too seriously so don't take it too seriously. Being realistic isn't a major goal in this.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity-Fuck-Fuck!

Being pregnant had already been hard enough, but it's guaranteed to be harder when being hunted by big, black, four-legged bug eel hybrid sons of bitches. Plus, they spit acid! Who the bloody fucking designed these things?! Oh, and there were also bodies hanging up everywhere, including ripped out spines and decapitated skulls.

Just your average Monday, right? Of course it had to be a freaking Monday. Fuck off, Monday!

After almost running into another corpse, the woman hissed, "All I wanted to do, was get a bloody freakin' checkup. But did that happen? _No_ , everyone's dying from the demonic, mutated brainchildren of Guillermo del Toro and Tim Burton!"

One of the hissing creatures appeared, and exhausted, pissed, and with an abundant amount of hormones flooding her veins, she picked up a heart monitor, and smashed the thing's face. When it roared in her face, she roared right back, it's head turning into puddling, acidic goo. Panting, she leaned her head back, trying not to panic. Then, she kicked its corpse, not even bothered by how her foot was hurting. At the thud, one of its inner mouths popped out, and she smashed that on instinct. Was she winded? Yes. Was she just gonna take this shit? Hell no.

Still, she was undeniably exhausted. "Can I just, please, catch a break already?"

Her stomach growled, and she scowled, rubbing her hand lightly over her lower abdomen. Right, she was eating for at least two now. She'd already been stressed just because of that. Now? She and the little one inside her were being hunted. Looking at the heart monitor, seeing the metal still singing, she smirked. Leaning slightly, she spun part in acid to a fine point with ease. Taking some of the scalpels and splints from one of the kits, she fashioned a few weapons, not just from some of those tools, but also from a couple of claws and teeth she carefully collected. Cracking her knuckles and stretching as safely as possible, she sighed, checking one of the hallway maps. Her stomach rumbled again.

"Great, of course you want chocolate and pickles. It couldn't have been crackers or something else any of these rooms could have. Just, what the bloody fuck is wrong with you, kid?"

It was getting harder to tell if the nausea was from the smell of the corpses, or leftover morning sickness. Neither fared well. Her body couldn't keep this up.

She needed to stay alive, and that meant getting creative. Keeping her guard up, she wandered down the hall, her senses more alert than they may have been her entire life up to this point. Along the way, she found and made whatever weapons she could, one of them being an emergency ax. It was in one of the hallways to the kitchen that she saw a razor thin cord stretched across the floor, surrounded by some very specific kinds of bloodstains. The patterns, if she remembered some of her science courses correctly, told her where whatever killed people was coming from. She stepped over it, wary of others like it, checking the rest of her surroundings.

That's when she felt eyes watching her. She turned around, and threw one of her makeshift spears. There was a harsh grunt, and she barely dodged the trajectory of the weapon as it was returned to her. Well, almost. It sliced part of her skin, along her ribs. It wasn't deep, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Twisting best to her ability (not easy in her physical state), she slid slightly, yanking the spear from the ground, gripping it in fingers. Sweat was already pouring in front of her eyes. Thank goodness for adrenaline.

Surprisingly, there was no one there. Still, she wasn't going to take any chances. She tossed a scalpel at the cord from earlier, watching as some weird ass blades flew through the air, hitting something that had been invisible. The invisible thing? It was freakin' huge, as in at least eight feet tall. It was He-Man wannabe from what she could tell of the outline, except he had dreadlocks? And badly made ones at that.

It roared in a manner that reminded her of a lion, and for a moment she needed to cover her ears from the intensity of it. Unable to stop her surprised squeak, she ran again before the thing could recover. When heavy footfalls echoed behind her, she made a turn around a corner, and lifted the heart monitor she had strapped to her back, slamming the metal into the creature's face, something cracking as she did so. The humanoid being fell butt first, groaning and holding its head.

Y'know, this reminded her of one of those old cartoons. All they were missing was the birds or stars circling his head.

The guy -from the muscles she had assumed it was male but there were an equal amount of women that were just that awesome- was reminiscent of a stripper with that netting on his limbs, with the exception of the mask and armor. Or, was that still considered stripper material? Eh, everyone had their kinks. Who was she to judge?

Not allowing herself to take the sight in or do something more phenomenally stupid than usual, she made her exit. Unfortunately, her cursed conscious made her pause when she heard familiar hissing from one of those demonic puppets. Palming her face, she cursed under her breath as she returned in time to see one of those ugly motherfuckers approaching the stripper.

Was she stupid? If so, by how much? Fairly. Rolling her neck, she did her best to remain calm as she aimed. The male had began to sit up, groggy, when her aim hit true right behind him. Blades erupted from his arms as he moved to aim behind him, stilling as he found the corpse of the thing hunting both of them.

"You're welcome, asshole," she deadpanned, needing to lean against the wall for a moment so she could catch her breath. She glared as she saw him turn once more, red lights dancing across her before landing on her abdomen, right over the secondary heartbeat. It was the same heartbeat that had finally been detected by doctors less than a week before. He stiffened, but she didn't. She launched a series of fatal projectiles at him. "You ain't touching my baby, you bitch!"

Guy or not, guess what? Everybody's a bitch.

She threw one of the blades was made from those hard shelled being's teeth that she had dipped into the acidic blood. It smoked when it hit his helmet. The creature roared, but she roared right back at the top of her lungs. It reared back in surprise, making a high pitched, shrieking clicking noise as an ax was thrown at its head. She was willing to bet that if she saw his eyes, they'd be wide and like a ridiculous cartoon character's. Her aim was true. He began cursing in its own language, losing track of where she had gone. She knew it was cursing, because she did it all of the time. Damn, if she and her baby survived this, she was really going to have to watch how she expressed her vocabulary. That, or the kid was going to have exceedingly colorful language.

Having found a place to hide, she kept her ears keen as if ran past, a beeping noise from technology filling the air as did that foreign language. He sounded panicked. Well, he ought to be considering she almost literally kicked that huge, blubbery ass of his. Oh, and that outfit was _not_ working for his figure, at all.

Breathing in and out, she clutched her weapons ever closer. Determination filled her as she rested.

...Seriously though, fuck Mondays.

...

..

.

The yautja in question growled, searching for the female with urgency. 

He should just ignore her, spare her life as part of their code, but she had also saved his life. It would be dishonorable not to repay the debt. Worse yet, he did harm her. He had witnessed it when he threw the odd weapon back at her. He didn't know she'd been pregnant.

_**"Yautja are to never kill those who are pregnant even if they pose a threat."** _

In any other situation, the female would have been worthy prey. Now? Not only was she pregnant, but she saved his life.

_**"Those who defeat you in a fair Hunt, or who are the victors in a deadlier hunt, and show you mercy are to be considered our equals. You must either kill both them and yourself, or bestow them with a reward."** _

She was his equal, and consequently he either had to kill her or reward her. Since killing her is forbidden, that left one option. Should she perish, the wound he dealt could be attributed to her demise, and the demise of a true innocent.

 _ **"Those who break the code are renegades, and no longer considered to be a Yautja. They are to be destroyed when encountered.**_ "

If he was fortunate enough to survive, he would be labeled a Bad Blood, cast out of the clan. He would lose _everything_. 

Besides the mere thought of hiding what he had done being dishonorable, it wasn't as if he could hide what he did even if he wanted to. Their masks recorded everything to be evaluated afterwards. The monitoring system was witness to their actions, unless taken or turned off for approved purposes such as facing a worthy enemy.

He had to make sure at the very least the others did _not_ try to claim her as prey.

Informing the other members of the hunting group of her existence, her fierce expression came to mind. Of how she was willing to fight him with so potent, tangible _fury_. Females were always more territorial when it came to their young, but there was something striking about this one. He just couldn't place it, but her behavior was overwhelmingly familiar. He would never admit it out loud, but she had frightened him for the briefest of moments. He described the basic features he saw to the other hunters, keeping an eye out for both her, and the kainde amedha.

A few minutes later, there was a loud, abrupt explosion.

"C'jit."

That ooman better make it out alive, for both their sakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: 
> 
> Yautja: Predator
> 
> Bad Blood: "any Yautja that has turned against its own kind and severely violated aspects of the Yautja Honor Code - intentional or not."
> 
> Kainde amedha: Xenomorphs
> 
> C'jit: "Shit"
> 
> Ooman: Human


	2. Beware the Girl Scout

No one was going to take her life from her, and they certainly weren't going to take her baby's.

Having regained some energy, she stalked the hallways once more, leery of her surroundings.

In her life, she had been a lot of things. She had been a girl scout, cookies and all. It had included making fires and crafting tools. She had been a track and field player in high school. She was a college student that was starting to pay off her loans right before graduating, which was pretty much miraculous. Sure, a lot of the future she had planned was thrown through a metaphorical window, but she was still standing, and she was still kicking ass.

Finally making her way to the kitchen, she groaned as she saw what looked like a bunch of eggs on the ground, and people glued by a viscous mucus onto the walls. Some were a lot deader than others. Unfortunately, a lot began screaming for help upon seeing her. Guilt filled her as she barely resisted the urge to permanently make them shut up. Her thoughts wandered downwards.

A helpful guy (rare he was) yelled something about the eggs having something that made others' chest explode. "These _things_ , t-they hug your face and make you swallow these eggs!"

"Hug"? And um, ew? That, and this complicated a few things. Everything was just so, crazy. But, there wasn't a lot of time if these were eggs, and if there were more of those nightmarish things around. Decisions had to be made, and made fast. That didn't mean she couldn't try though? "Okay, who here hasn't been impregnated?"

Nope, she wasn't going to make any jokes at this time. None of it was funny in this situation, especially to her.

From what she gathered, all of them had. Her heart froze as she heard one person say, "Please, kill me before one of these things does. I'm begging you."

Those words were mimicked and paraphrased. It was one thing to kill a different, non-sapient species. To kill something you know could think? Or something of your own kind? There wasn't likely much time before those things came back. She couldn't waste more of her weapons. And, killing someone, even in these circumstances? She was worried about how the stress was taking a toll on her. Looking at her hands and then at the people, she counted three there. All wanted to be saved, and she couldn't do it. Not really.

Eyes tearing up, she grabbed some syringes from her kit that she had gathered around the hospital, and drew air into them. Plunging the needles into their necks, she injected air into their major arteries, watching them die before her eyes. Quickly, she left, grabbing what supplies she could before anything could attack her, eggs or not.

Hand over her abdomen, she reminded herself that she had someone to protect.

* * *

There were more rooms with eggs, more traps made by those strippers, and more tools she was able to collect. Mentally deteriorating from her emotions and having to actively keep her guard up, she played some mind games, including coming up with colorfully safe adjectives to prepare her for when she became a mother. The axe turned out to come in handy as she cut down obstacles. Too bad she couldn't use it on the horror movie rejects.That acidic blood made things a wee bit difficult.

Another roar rang out, and she saw one of the strippers, the same one, slammed through a wall, green blood covering both him, and one of those creatures. He wasn't wearing a mask, and her eyes widened. The first thing she noticed were the eyes. They were glowing in starkness to his darkened skin. He had a mouth with pincers like a spider or something akin to a horseshoe crab. Those hair-like things? Those weren't part of his mask, but looked like his, er well, hair? Or they were protrusions of some kind at least? He had all these little light spots like freckles, or like spots on a dalmatian. His skin wasn't scaly, but it was almost reptilian in appearance. His forehead was large, and it had a marking she didn't recognize.

He didn't notice her, distracted by his fight, and by trying to stay alive. A huge part of her wanted to interfere again, but she also didn't want her face torn off, or to lose what little she had. She started getting away when she saw the male shoved to the ground, the creature rearing back. She could see something coming out from the creature's throat, knowing that it was that disturbing second jaw. So, she ran up, and chopped off both heads of the horror puppet wannabe. Then, as the ax was disintegrating, she ran back in the direction she came instead of going in the other direction that some might assume she would.

She had to pause for a moment to catch her breath, dizzy. That's when something pierced her shoulder, and she couldn't hold back her scream as something tried to pull her off. She yelled in fury then, slashing the black tip of a tail off.

"FUCK YOU!"

From there, she beat the thing best she could, somehow managing to decapitate it without remembering how. When she was done, she fought to stand up, whimpering from the pain. She was bleeding, heavily from the wound just dealt, and a little from the injury the asshole had given her earlier. In her lower abdomen, she felt movement, and her mind was filled with imaginary cries of an infant that was in distress. Focusing, she forced herself up.

At the end of the hall, was the same guy from before. She growled, starting to take out a weapon when she gasped, falling over. Panting heavily, sweat making it hard to see, she clutched her belly. The male started to approach her, and she growled in a manner that sounded feral. She didn't even know she could sound like that.

He paused, but the more he approached, the more she placed herself into a stance to either run, or fight. Thinking in desperation, she slammed her fist into the wall, the pain being drawn from her other injuries to her knuckles and fingers. With a battle cry, she pulled out one of her handmade weapons...A bow and arrows. And the arrows she had made? They were a mixture of scalpels and those things' teeth, edged with green blood. The string from the bow was made from extremely thin pieces of vectran, one of the best materials to use for bowstrings, and something commonly found in hospitals.

Thank you, girl scouts.

The being stilled completely, her rage halting him. Unfortunately, she saw one of those black things behind him. Quite a few, actually. Cursing, she aimed and fired, shooting both in the head. Another appeared, racing towards her. Damn it, she had a limited number of arrow-

She wheezed as pain seared through her once more. The baby was moving, unknowingly making it hard for her to fight. Her eyes watered, and she begged out loud for them to calm down. Pulling herself together best she could, she fired once more. The guy in netting began running towards her, eyes wide. She scowled, running from him. A series of clicks and unfamiliar sounds erupted from behind her. She could've almost sworn those were words, but she didn't want to take the chance.

The woman had to keep herself and her baby alive, and safe.

Damn, she was so tired and hungry.

She needed to find food, and some form of shelter, and fast.

...

..

.

Pauk! He was supposed to keep this female alive! Instead, she kept saving his behind instead. She was making him look pathetic! Which was c'jit!

"Have you found her, Bhu'ja?" The yautja in question cursed profusely, earning a sigh, "I'll take that as a yes."

"I swear by the gods I will strap that female down onto a medic table so she doesn't get killed!"

There was a pause. "How can a ooman female make an honored warrior like you behave like this?"

It was because she was frustrating, confusing. Believe it or not, he was _trying_ to be honorable by helping her, but she seemed intent on thwarting his attempts. That, and everytime their gazes met, he had to be the one to look away first. Her gaze pierced him as a blade would, sending ice up and down his spine. Her wrath was visible from the path she made from her prey's remains. She made weapons from them just as the yautja did.

... _That's_ why he found her so intimidating, she was like one of their females. No, not just a fierce female protecting her young, but a warrior doing so.

It was difficult enough to pacify female yautja in similar states of mind, but oomans were unknown. Or least this one was.

And their lives were now tied.

He only paused for two things, one being his mask, the second was in front of a machine known to dispense food. Smashing his fist through the glass, he grabbed various small items that she might be willing to eat. Everyone had to eat, and pregnant females especially so. He just hoped she wouldn't tear his mandibles from his face in the process. The female was disturbingly vicious.

The gods must be laughing at his misery right now.


	3. Eat a Snickers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of this chapter was inspired by a comment made by iterations.
> 
> Thank you!

Call Admiral Ackbar, 'cause what was in front of her was obviously another trap. But damn it, it was a tempting one.

They had snickers. And food from a vending machine in general, but pregnancy cravings? They wanted Snickers.

Oh dear lord if anyone found out she'd be a laughing stock. No, Snickers were not going to get rid of her bad mood. She was always a bitch. But, food. And it was right there. And since it was a trap, that meant it was probably being watched or under some form of surveillance. Pursing her lips, the woman glanced around before sighing and walking away. As her back was turned, she heard footsteps.

"Shit!"

You know what? She turned around and fired one of her makeshift arrows at the little round object just underneath the candies. Unsurprisingly, a net flew upwards, having been hidden by some form of advanced technology. She dashed past it, snatching up some of the scattered treats while flipping off the weird crab-faced stripper. He made a bunch of clicking noises in irritation (that was irritation, right?) and tried to chase her. However, she had a trick up her sleeves, literally. She tossed over a bag of marbles, watching them explode all over the place. He tried to jump over them, dodge them, but those extra long legs that made him faster than her? They caught the floor before his fingers even got close. She hadn't even noticed there were two others as well, one of them having the brain to avoid the floor before she threw the marbles. Fortunately, he had a hard time dodging both those projectiles, and another emergency ax that she had found. They were surprisingly hard to find. Or, not so surprisingly? Ugh, she was tired.

" _Shit_!"

Did, did that thing just say shit? Wait, no, it recorded something she said? And replayed it to her? She didn't give herself time to ponder that during the moment, making her escape. In one of her hidden spots, she silently cheered for she had _food_. Chomping away, she had to fight the urge to groan in relief. Eating felt so good, especially when it was food you could stomach. The tiny thing inside miraculously started calming down. Still, this wasn't sustainable. It wasn't just a matter of surviving this. The government, officials, _somebody_ should've been here by now. Something should have been done. So, why hadn't something changed?

That meant she had to find a way to escape rather than plead to whatever deity was listening to keep her alive until then. Looked like she was going to have to save herself, and the little one waiting for this fucked up world.

Or, were those guys some twisted form of the government? Maybe mutated experiments? Oh god, was this place some sort of field test?!

Thinking of how the strippers were evidently the ones hanging up bodies (the other things either ate people or made them into nests), and taking body parts like they were new toys, she doubted it. No, there had to be something going on.

They had advanced technology, the kind that could make them invisible, and the netting somehow protected them. Shoulder guns that shot lasers definitely wasn't something the government, most governments, wasn't known for. They were hunters, and they were intent on making everything and everyone their prey, including her. 

It was when she eaten a few more candies from a vending machine that she became dizzy, falling to her knees against her will. Her side and abdomen hurt, and they hurt a lot. She prayed that none of it had been contaminated. A large part of her wanted to get some pain killers, but she didn't know the side effects of the ones that were there. So, she was just going to have to suck it up and-

The woman had to bite her fist to keep from screaming. Damn it, she was way too early to give birth. Sure, she was showing now, but barely. She tried to focus on her breathing, thinking of all her exercises, of all her training in sports to maintain some semblance of clarity.

She needed a way out, ASAP.

* * *

"She's clever."

Bhu'ja scowled, clicking under his breath. "Did you not believe me?"

"I believed you, but I did not understand the extent. That's the fourth time she's evaded us. She's making us look like Young Bloods. I am impressed, and infuriated."

"And we can't hunt her as prey," another grumbled, trying to remove tiny round stones from very uncomfortable places. Netting helped, but only by so much.

Bhu'ja examined his surroundings more thoroughly. "Why have none of their kind come to stop us? Previously, our mere presence causes panic."

"Maybe they recognize we're primarily here to destroy the kainde amedha?" The one who uttered that earned doubtful looks. Bhu'ja gestured to their trophies and the skinned bodies hanging from the ceiling. "Oh, right."

Something was wrong, more so than usual. "Mei'hswei, survey the area. I will continue to track down the female. She has to be resting somewhere, or is searching for a way out. We will flush her out."

"Yes, along with the kai nde amedha while you're at it. We need to be smarter about this."

Bhu'ja tapped the side of his mask, wondering why he couldn't track her heat signature. For some parts of the building it was obviously due to the machines that provided energy or various other forms of equipment that were unfamiliar.

"We're not used to hunting prey to keep it alive."

"Then for the moment, act as if we're going to kill her. Don't treat her differently from other prey," Bhu'ja said slowly, with great reluctance. "We can't use gas, nor explosives. So, we shut off the energy to this building. She will need to leave to access food, shelter, and light. She will have little to no choice but to move, especially if she wants to escape."

"And through that, the kainde amedha will be more active. They thrive in the dark. We could be dooming her instead of saving her."

Her expression showed her exhaustion, and more disturbingly, her pain. It was pain that he had caused to a pregnant female. Those fury-filled eyes assaulted his mind again. They had been ablaze, and directed at him. Normally he'd be thrilled by such a prospect, but...

"Her chances of survival are lessening with every moment," Bhu'ja admonished. "Strong and clever she is, but her health, and the health of the unborn, deteriorates quickly. So unless we have a living ooman to lure her in with-" It was becoming clearer that the kainde amedha and that lone ooman were the only survivors. The former's numbers dwindled, but that didn't mean they were no longer formidable. "This is the best plan we have."

They were a hunting group, the fault of one fell unto the others unless rectifications were made, either by aiding the one who did wrong, or by executing them. Bhu'ja was no fool to how any one of the group would kill him for his foolish blunder.

* * *

It was getting colder, which made sense considering it was almost Winter.

She was cold, hungry, sore, and the lights had just gone out. The air conditioning system had already been a concern since those nightmarish things used those as a method to travel. It was so tempting to huddle into what little warmth she had, but she had to keep moving if not to find a way out, to keep her blood flowing. And, this was a trap too, wasn't it?

Unlike Snickers, this wasn't something she could easily avoid. It wasn't something tempting. She _had_ to get up. A pathetic part of her wanted to cry, the pain trying to force her not to do anything. But, she had to. So, she mentally walked her way through slowly moving each limb, gasping for air as her body screamed at her. Her breath was visible in the dark of the night, but the rest of said night? Was black. Her eyes weren't going to easily adjust to this, at all.

Focusing with what little energy she had, she went through all the small tools and knickknacks she'd been able to get. An otoscope wasn't going to do much. The range of light only stretched so far, and it would alert others to her presence. Anything else that illuminated, like the spare flashlight she had taken off one of the security guys' bodies (it still felt wrong to loot like that), would just illuminate and not only basically say "Here I am!", but should it go out or she lose it, her eyes would take more time to adjust, time she couldn't afford to lose.

But, doctors _did_ sometimes use Google glasses, with cameras. So, combine that with a camera, and you could have insta-night vision. And recovering from that kind of lighting wasn't just easier, but far quicker since the pupils wouldn't need to dilate so much. Grinning, she took out that tool, turning it on.

Now, instead of being hunted, she was going to hunt those bitches herself.

Time to eat a Snickers.

...

...

.

"Bhu'ja, I think we're all still underestimating her."

This was something the ooman could not possibly avoid. It was the best strategy to hunt down prey. So what did they mean? The yautja narrowed his eyes, "Why?"

"Your brother just found two of the kainde amedha surrounded by odd tools, eviscerated."

Bhu'ja tripped a little. "Repeat that."

"She _eviscerated_ them." There was a pause. "And the other oomans? They're here, and they have weapons outside. They're going to destroy this place."

Pauk.

So, he had to save her hide, when she was trying to hunt all of them, and he had to do it without harming her, while avoiding the kainde amedha, and trying not to get blown up.

Seriously, what, in _any_ lifetime, did he do to deserve this?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kainde amedha: Xenomorphs
> 
> Mei'hswei: Brother
> 
> Pauk: Fuck


	4. Your Majesty

Making armor was _not_ easy, but it was quickly becoming manageable. Kevlar from remains of security guards, some of the exoskeleton of those bug things (that wasn't easy to work with), and though she was tempted to wear and encapsulated suit to help regulate temperature as well as help her breathe, she had to prioritize mobility. She could find other ways of getting warm. Being slowed down or making too much noise was a death sentence.

However, it was entertaining to see those things try to kill the makeshift dummy made with said encapsulated suit, only for it to explode on them. These things were extremely vulnerable to heat apparently, and hospitals were _full_ of flammable stuff. Plus, the softened shell made it both easier to cut through, and made the blood less acidic. She wondered if it wasn't necessarily the heat that killed the things, but the fact that they couldn't get away from their own bodily fluids boiling them alive in more ways than one. The blood itself was still acidic afterwards, but not enough to melt through floors or a flask. However, it would melt through clothing, and probably flesh. She wasn't going to test the latter one out, at least not on herself.

Now, if she was right, there were only five left after the last couple she killed. She could easily be proven wrong considering there could have been more rooms full of eggs she couldn't find. But, this was her best shot. Then, there were the strippers. From what she learned, there were three of them. The one she had seen the face of really like using his invisibility cloaks. Another seemed less agile and more muscular, leaving him a limited range of motion. The third was a bit young. She had seen him kick a wall when he was impatient building a trap, and cursed (she knew what cursing looked and sounded like regardless of language barriers), when it fell apart on him. He also had a high pitched screech when she undid it, stealing some more candies earlier.

It took a while, likely due to exhaustion and lack of proper food, that these things were most likely aliens, as insane as that sounded. Advanced technology beyond human comprehension? Check. Beings who had little to no concept of how to function in human areas? Check (though that could be said for most awkward people). inhuman features including possible insect-like appearances and glowing blood? Make that a triple.

Aliens, she was up against aliens with abilities that she may not even know of yet. She really wished this was like War of the Worlds where bacteria and viruses were the ultimate killers. Instead, she got crab-faced strippers in fishnets that were surprisingly scary despite how that sounded.

At the very least, in every hunt one could have, someone should use their prey's stronger abilities against them.

These guys either had really good night vision, or advanced technology that helped them circumnavigate the dark. She was using the Google Glasses, which still kept things dim but not totally dark. She could adjust. What if they couldn't?

It was hard not to insane giggle as she placed her trap around.

Time to see if these guys had epilepsy.

* * *

"Bhu'ja, your brother's been flashed."

"...What?"

"Mei'hswei, I'm blind! Somehow the ooman rigged hidden lights in one of the long hallways, and there's a kainde amedha nearby. I need help."

_**"Do not join another's Hunt, or Hunt in their territory, without their permission. All trophies taken in this manner are stolen trophies, and shall be dealt with by the rightful owner."** _

Bhu'Ja cursed, racing to the last location his brother had signaled from. Normally during a hunt help isn't preferable, but this was unfair prey, it was unfair grounds, and his brother was specifically requesting assistance. Seeing the bright hallway, Bhu'ja adjusted the vision on his eyewear, only to gap as the intensity of the lights flared on and off too quickly for his device to catch up with. His infrared was useless because of the heat of the lights. Walking into this? It wasn't just a trap, but practically a death sentence.

The ooman had found a way to kill them, without her needing to lift a finger.

"Paya, I wish I could kill her so much right now."

It wasn't just excitement for the hunt, but sheer rage he had to fight now. Regardless of what happened to his brother, he had to at least keep this female alive. The others could die, by her hand or not, and he'd still have to protect her. In his fury, he didn't bother hiding a roar. Then, he heard something. It sounded like muffled clicking, and it was coming from behind him. A device was tossed at his feet, and he heard tiny movements. It was the ooman.

He was about to run after her, when he realized what she threw was a remote. Pressing it, he saw that the lights stopped, leaving them in darkness once more. The device continued clicking, and his brother ran into him.

"There's a kainde amedha behind me! I heard it!"

Wait, did that human use his brother as a lure for him, _and_ the kainde amedha. Oh Paya, she made it so the groups could more easily hunt each other instead of her. She wanted them to kill each other off! That little piece of-!

His anger only grew when the youngest of them reappeared, "I'm here! How do I help?"

This s'yuit-de pauk.

"I asked for my brother's assistance, not yours."

There was low hissing, from not one, but two of those things. More. All three Yautja got out their weapons. This would be difficult for Bhu'Ja's brother since he was more of a close range fighter, and if his senses were lessened by this he was made more vulnerable. All of their attention was going to be diverted to these things and...Away from her.

If he could kill her, he would've placed her skull with some of his most prized trophies.

* * *

Perfect, the clicking and roaring drew those hard-shelled things away from her, and to the strippers instead. Those guys obviously knew how to hunt, and could defend themselves better than she could right now.

Keeping her sense out, she searched for a way out, or at least some way to get to the outside world. Problem was, the normal exits were either blocked off, or too damaged to break through, and she was too tired to do that anyways. Windows? They were specifically sealed to keep patients from doing phenomenally stupid, like jumping out of them. And jumping out the window? Depending on the height and how she landed, _she_ could survive albeit with broken bones, but not necessarily her baby. That, and she needed to be as physically intact as possible in case something followed her.

To her relief, outside she could see military vehicles and soldiers. She started to relax, until she saw their explosives. Listening carefully, she waited with baited breath to try to hear what they were planning.

_"...Survivors?"_

_"...Too dangerous..."_

_"Parasite..."_

_"...Survivor had chest burster..."_

_"Can't risk it."_

The face huggers, those black insects. Those people weren't here to rescue survivors, but exterminate _everything_ out of fear. It made sense in retrospect considering how you couldn't see if those people had been impregnated. That meant if they knew she was here, they'd either kill her, or use her and her child...Her hand went to her lower abdomen

Her baby wouldn't live, not really. Everything, everyone she was fighting for? The supposed heroes she needed, they weren't coming. There was a roar upstairs, and from being overwhelmed, she instinctively covered her ears despite it not doing any good. What should she do? What was the next right thing? Where does she go from here?

She felt helpless, and she absolutely hated it.

Maybe, she could escape regardless? The government officials didn't need to know after all. But, in her state, did she really have the strength to break through any of that debris?

This time, the roar, strange and unfamiliar as it was, wasn't an omen.

She had an idea that was absolutely insane, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

There was a loud creaking in the floor then, and the ceiling began to quake. It was very Jurassic Park, meaning something big was coming.

Wait, the last roar? That wasn't from one of those strippers, was it?

The floor broke through, and several feet away, stood the biggest living thing she had ever seen, and it most certainly wanted to eat her.

Fuck.

...

..

.

They were alive, but two of the kainde amedha had escaped. It was wounded, but still very much a threat. Bhu'ja cursed under his breath, searching the building with his sensors best he could. He had to find that blasted ooman if it was the last thing he did, and it very much likely would be.

"Mei'hswei, can you see?"

"Vaguely."

All of them had been injured. Not fatally, but their wounds needed to be treated. Inwardly, he did find himself grimacing as he tended to a new hole in the youngest one's limb. The ooman had been pierced as well, twice. Once by his hand, and another when saving his life. A roar echoed in the air, all three freezing.

"I thought there wasn't a Queen here."

"Something has to lay the eggs," Bhu'ja's brother pointed out, still blinking rapidly in the attempt to regain as much sight as possible. "We're here primarily for the infestation, or did you forget that?"

The youngest chittered, "How could there be one? How, where would it even fit?"

Bhu'ja thought carefully, "Does this building have an underground area?"

"I believe the oomans call it a basement?"

"FUCK!"

...That sounded like the ooman, and the building was shaking. "You don't think..."

There were screams, followed by, "FUUUUUUCCCKKKK!"

Yep, that cursing was definitely her.

"C'jit."

This ooman, had better be worth all this trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paya: God
> 
> S'yuit-de: Pathetic/Idiot
> 
> Pauk: Fuck


	5. Do not go gentle into that good night...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if people will like this or not. Time to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Blood, guts(?), gore.
> 
> There is death.
> 
> Have fun!

Fucking Christ on a barbecue skewer, what the fuck was that thing?!

It was nearly two stories tall, completely black with ridges and spikes, and somehow could glare despite having no eyes. Its head was elongated like the other bug thingies were, but this one wore it like a crown. Its movements were more serpentine than the others, and oddly graceful in movement despise the astronomical differences in size. Odoriferous, shining drool practically spilled from its mouth as it snarled out at the soldiers.

Maybe it was because she was so tiny that it didn't notice her, or maybe it was because the giant bug was more interested in the missile launchers. Wait, shit, those were missile launchers! She dove to the side, covering her ears as blasts and screams filled the air. A shadow flew over her, smacking into the opposite wall. The object rolled to her feet, shadows shifting to show a decapitated head that had largely been torn to gory shreds. The last time she had seen brains, was the jello kind from Indiana Jones. This was, ugh. Why was it more gross when it was red blood instead of green or glowing? Or, was it because he looked like any guy she could've met on the street?

High pitched shrieks threatened to render her deaf. She prayed it wouldn't make her baby deaf. Wait, could that happen? Oh jeeze, if both of them survived this, she was going to be a shitty mother!

Right, if, because of all things, how was she supposed to go against _that_ thing?! It could eat her wholesale in one bite! The smaller versions? Maybe, but she was exhausted and falling down because she'd exhausted herself and was already badly injured. It took a lot out of you to lift and move things when there was a whole in your shoulder. She was lucky to be alive from that alone, and she'd had to work without painkillers because she didn't want to risk her baby. Her ribs hurt, and she was worrying about an infection despite all of the disinfectants she used for both major wounds. Damn it, she'd been so close after this living Hell!

Yeah, she was ticked off, and wanted to scream and yell, but she had to play smart. She had to survive. That meant...Leaving these people to die.

Her fear dissipating with dawning horror, she stood, mostly blocked from view by the huge piece of rubble she'd hidden behind. There were a couple of tanks that had been turned into shrapnel. All those people? They were dead or dying. Limbs were everywhere, pieces of corpses rendered to less than slabs of meat. The stone under the living's feet was reflecting them in shades of red. Looking out, she could see the path into the city, and the direction the thing was going.

Clenching her fists, her jaw, she shut her eyes, thinking deeply.

The worst way to die, is with regrets, the kind that would haunt you. In front of her, she saw a path to a city with other parents, family, friends, even if she didn't know them. She saw liftiemes she could've had once. If that thing got out, then what was there to stop it?

But what could she do? She was one person, one who was hurt and stupid and scared. The chances of survival weren't great. She'd been there before but...

Her hand drifted to her lower abdomen, where a small movement, a flutter, greeted her.

They were alive, mother and child were alive. If she left, acted as if she was never here, she'd have a chance of a relatively normal life. If she left, she'd be able to hold her baby, at least once. She could meet them, really meet them. All of this could be just a nightmare, couldn't it? Couldn't it? Please?

Looking to her weapons, she knew she couldn't just do nothing. She had to at least try. It was a damned stupid risk to make, but she'd come this far. This wasn't a time to just give up. After this, and there _would_ be an after, that would be the time to rest.

Inhaling in and out, she studied the creature's form, took out her bow and arrows, and ran out. Ignoring the soldiers who caught sight of her, she ducked and slid on the ground, tearing off some of the deceased's grenade holders. Behind one of the vehicles, she quickly tied some to her makeshift arrows, adjusting he weight and leverage so that it was balanced.

This was crazy, absolutely bonkers, and like something shitty from an action movie, but fuck that.

She was going to take out this fucker, survive, and raise her baby, and the world could go screw itself!

* * *

It was utter chaos outside. Bodies and flame were everywhere, the latter making it hard for the yautja to see. It also made it harder to hide. Their cloaking devices could only do so much.

And the Queen? She was bigger than expected, and certainly more bloodthirsty. She was literally picking up bodies, living and dead, consuming them with enthusiasm. This was worthy prey, a being worth conquering, something to mount on a wall for all the galaxy to see. Yet, Bhu'ja just found himself searching for the one ooman who had just ruined his life. Should she die, it _would_ be his fault. He and the others had seen what she was capable of. She was a true huntress at heart, and had undeniable strength and intelligence. She would have survived this, if not for the injuries she received both from him, and protecting him.

It would be his fault such a magnificent being was lost. It would be his fault her offspring, who would no doubt be as amazing as her, was lost. It was his fault he failed his fellow hunters, and himself. If he hadn't gotten caught up in the hunt...

"Bhu'ja, look!"

So he did, and there she was. It was the ooman. She wore some sort of eyewear, symbols flashing on it. Her hair was bound close to her scalp, and she wore both bandages, and makeshift armor. Some of that armor included materials from her prey, the kainde amedha. She was pale, but the light in her eyes burned far more than any blaze around them. She was up on the second floor, running to a spot he couldn't see past the smoke. In her hands, was her bow and an arrow with something on it.

"What is she doing?"

Bhu'ja followed her gaze, finding it fixated on the Queen. A part of him filled with horror, another with amazement. "She's going to kill the Queen."

That should be impossible for a ooman, but seeing this one in action? He was starting to believe that it just might be possible.

"...What?!"

He wanted to see this play out, to see what she was truly capable of, but he could still see her bandages leaking crimson. She was sweating from exertion. She was in pain. Yes, he wanted, needed, the beast to be felled, but not at the risk of her. Growling, he ran, only for bullets to hit his armor. The ooman warriors were shooting at him, keeping him from her. The other yautja moved to his side. "We'll take care of them, go get her!"

Every part of him was trembling. With what emotion he was unsure, but he didn't hesitate going after her. His heart nearly leaped from him as she roared, gaining the monster's attention. It twisted, screeching at her. Rage radiated off both of them, but it was evident which mother's will was stronger than the other's. The ooman narrowed her eyes, waiting for the thing to open its mouth. The weight was slightly off, but the explosion on the creature's mouth still made it more vulnerable, enough for the majority of soldiers that had survived to start firing at the newly stripped flesh. It wouldn't be enough though.

It spun, the tail whipping into part of the building. The ooman female yelped, rolling to dodge and hissing as more blood spilled from her side. For a moment, she crumbled in on herself, fighting to breathe.

Her side, the wound he dealt her. She was having a hard time moving because of that. It was his fault.

She growled, audibly _growled_ , and released another arrow, this one landing on the being's tongue. It still wasn't enough. His brother said something to the youngest, moving behind the creature so that it was no longer facing the ooman. Unfortunately, what should have been a distraction to escape, the ooman disregarded. Instead, she took a few steps back, and ran _at_ it, landing and sliding to a spike on the back.

"Yippee ki yay, motherfucker!"

She took a piece of her armor off, as well as a flask with green fluid...Was that blood of kainde amedha? She contained it?! The acid started searing into the creature, smoking rising from the burnt flesh as she took out a large knife, cutting through the shell that the acid had softened. The creature didn't notice, too distracted by the warriors and Bhu'ja's brother, even as the ooman shoved a piece of clothing full of explosives within the handmade crevasse just above the mid-back range of the spine.

That, devious, magnificent, brilliant ooman. An odd sense of pride waved through him.

She jumped to the ground, rolling as she landed, and ran. "Clear!"

Many of the humans backed away, more as the creature screamed in pain as fire erupted from its back, green bursting into the air with the flame. The wave of air made from the explosion sent several oomans flying back, including the female. She made yelled out in pain as she landed against the remains of a stone building. Disoriented, and possibly fatally injured, the creature turned towards the ooman female, roaring.

 _C'jit_.

The ooman grit her teeth, attempting to get up but unable to. Bhu'ja ran as fast as he could, watching as the ooman was literally backed into the rubble of a wall. If she hadn't been so injured, injured by him, then it wouldn't be this bad. If it weren't for him, she'd be standing. Instead, she was helpless. He did this. Bhu'ja never recalled moving so quickly in his centuries of living, and he knew the others were moving nearly as fast as he.

From the distance he could see that she was injured, bloody, burnt. Yet, she still glared at the creature that wanted to take her life. It was the same gaze she gave to every opponent before they died by her hand. It was the one she _almost_ gave him. This was the face of someone fighting to the very end, not out of desperation, but because they were prepared for any outcome. They knew what they were doing, and they were unafraid of what was about to occur. They were confident. That alone could be the most terrifying thing someone can face. She grinned as it roared, raising her arms.

In them, was her bow and arrows, the latter had an explosive connected to it.

It was a moment frozen in time, the image forever seared into his mind as she roared back. The image, life, slowed as the end of the arrow released from her fingertips, cutting part of her cheek. Surrounded by flame and ruin, firing from a tactical position on her knees. She was illuminated, but not overwhelmingly so. It was as if she was part of the reason the light was there, as if it resonated with her anger. The arrow flew into the Queen's open maw, past the mouth, past its teeth, straight into it's gullet.

There was a pause as it continued to reach for her. She covered herself best she could as the kainde amedha's neck burst, acid and flesh sent everywhere. Then, there was a heavy thud as the body collapsed, the head a distance away.

Everything stilled.

"She, she killed it. S-She killed a Queen," the young blood said.

For some reason, it was a wonder that he ever doubted her.

The warriors were cheering, their efforts having done little to nothing compared to her actions. Bhu'ja was tempted to slaughter them all for not recognizing her. Did they thinkk it was somehow their doing? In the corner of his eye, he saw her panting, her eyes closing...

C'jit. He ran, finally able to make his way past the oomans, past the Queen's corpse, and straight to her.

Please, be alive. _Please_.

At her side, he realized...She was so _small_. His tools indicated life signs in both her, and in her offspring, though one was fainter than the other. She was unconscious, defenseless. Something gnarled and twisted in his stomach. This state of being didn't suit her at all. It took restraint to keep from clutching her, from clenching his fingers any tighter. His claws could severely damage her. Thinking about how _not_ to harm something like her? He'd never had to do that before.

Bhu'ja would've just handed her over to the oomans so they could treat her (he was used to killing oomans, not saving or healing them), but not only did they point their weapons at the yautja, but also at her.

One of the warriors wheezed, "You bastards! You impregnated her!"

Um, no, she was pregnant well before he got to her and oh, they meant the kainde amedha. He shook his head, trying to lay her down carefully before them, but one of the oomans shot her. He felt cold as he located the bullet, recollecting himself as he discovered the metal still in her vest. Although, she had flinched from the impact. They had hurt her, even after what she did? They tried to kill her, not just one of their own, but a mother, and someone who had saved them. Had she not been wearing her armor, she would've died in his arms. She would've died.

The oomans erupted into chaos, arguing with one another over what they should do. And the yautja?

_**"You must either kill both them and yourself, or bestow them with a reward."** _

...Leaving the oomans alive wasn't her reward, as per the code.

He shared a look with the other two and content with his trophies, he left his brother and the youth with the oomans to make their own.

_**"To take the Trophy of another Yautja, living or dead, is considered to be a great insult."** _

Bhu'ja paused, "Don't forget hers."

Both agreed. Screams echoed in the air, as did the squelching sounds of offal being ripped apart.

Cowards.

Now, what to do with the ooman in his arms? Or, technically there were two of them?

She still bore the wounds he dealt her, and he intended to return her mercy. The problem was, he couldn't return her back to her own kind. That narrowed his options, greatly. Thinking carefully, he cradled her to his chest, to his body heat as he walked to the sanctuary of the ship. His brother and the young blood would manage. In the meantime, he had to heal her wounds best to his ability, and contact the clan about what happened.

The elders, were _not_ going to like this. Or, they might? It's not every day oomans did what this one did, and he had proof.

This, this was going to be interesting.

... He just hoped she wouldn't kill him first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Yautja have to deal with a pissed off pregnant lady, again.
> 
> This time? They're all stuck in a tight container, and she knows how to make weapons.


	6. Broken Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter to date, but I think it needed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bhu'ja has a dilemma, bones are broken, and someone almost dies.

_**Now, what to do with the ooman in his arms? Or, technically there were two of them?** _

_**She still bore the wounds he dealt her, and he intended to return her mercy. The problem was, he couldn't return her back to her own kind. That narrowed his options, greatly. Thinking carefully, he cradled her to his chest, to his body heat as he walked to the sanctuary of the ship. His brother and the young blood would manage. In the meantime, he had to heal her wounds best to his ability, and contact the clan about what happened.** _

_**The elders, were not going to like this. Or, they might? It's not every day oomans did what this one did, and he had proof.** _

_**This, this was going to be interesting.** _

_**... He just hoped she wouldn't kill him first.** _

* * *

Machines beeped, and tools scraped as the Bhu'ja's brother prepared his tools. "Are you sure you can even operate? Your vision was impaired, mei'hswei, and-"

"I am fine. We both have run diagnostics on myself. Until we get back to the clan, Bhu'ja, we're the best she has."

The female had extensive injuries, many of which needed to be treated immediately, and that medicomp couldn't help in time. Broken ribs were included in that. She also had an infection, and according to what little information they had on human physiology, either one, both, could kill her or her child. If they messed up, she could die. If they did nothing, it would be certain.

"Oomans are fragile. Her actions were admirable, but foolish."

They had made the room as sterile as possible, and everything was prepared. The young blood returned. "And we're putting a translator chip in her skull?"

"It's not as crude as that, but, yes."

All Yautja had some medical or anatomical knowledge. They often needed to treat themselves in the field whenever injured, which is why they carried around medical kits with various tools, dome even surgical. And most also had some knowledge from hunting and gathering trophies. Problem was, few knew how to heal other species, much less keep them alive.

"What did the clan leaders say?"

This could be good, could be bad.

Bhu'ja inhaled sharply. "She is to be contained on the clan's ship in a selected area until she has both healed, and given birth to her pup."

His tone must've led them on somehow. "What else?"

Here we go. "The council watched the videos of her fighting ." They waited, and Bhu'ja wasn't sure "Some are impressed, and suggested including her into our ranks. Others see her as too dangerous to keep, or possibly as the ultimate prey. They believe some could, or would, try to hunt her after she's given birth."

The young blood in front of them choked, "You can't be serious."

"She took down Paya knows how many kainde amedha, outsmarted us, and defeated a Queen," Bhu'ja summarized. Saying that out loud made her sound impossible, but seeing it, seeing her? She had been glorious. He couldn't deny that, even if he wanted to. "She cannot return to her world, or if she does, it's like she and her pup will be killed, or turned into weapons. But if she stays-"

"Anyone and everyone could be after her."

Bhu'ja nodded.

Their attention pulled away from their thoughts as the unconscious female made a pained noise. She lay on a metal table, her body covered in bruises, and burns, and a visible broken bone that nearly punctured through her skin. They had done their best to patch her up so far, but she needed more than this.

On another table close to her lay her makeshift armor, the one that had the ooman soldier's ammunition in it. They shot her, even after she saved their lives. Bhu'ja had a lot of mixed feelings about the ooman female. She was wild, dangerous, but honorable. She didn't attack them unless attacked, saved his life, and even when his brother's life was endangered by her own trap, she gave them a way out. At any point in time, she could have hurt them, possibly killed them. It had always been in her power.

"She's your responsibility, Bhu'ja," his brother said. "What happens to her, is your choice."

"...We can discuss this more later. For now, we need to ensure she'll live."

Regardless of where she went, Bhu'ja owed her this much at the very least. Hearing her unconscious whimpers, it was almost unfathomable to see her like this. It was the most vulnerable he'd ever witnessed this ooman being. No, that was wrong. What he and he alone witnessed earlier spoke a great deal more.

_**Her head fell limply to his chest, her own quaking as it let out pained gasps. He could see her eyelids fluttering, tears slipping through. She couldn't breathe. So he took off his mask and made it form to her face, adjusting its settings to suit her biological needs. Her lungs appeared to absorb much more needed oxygen as she breathed. As if more aware, if only for the briefest of moments, she began struggling against him, even smacking one of his mandibles. He had to restrain her so she wouldn't puncture more of her flesh.**_

_**He held her still, being as gentle as possible so as not to harm her. "Stop, I am not going to hurt you."** _

_**That didn't sound remotely believable, even to him, even though he was completely honest. Bhu'ja was now obligated to at least make sure she was healthy enough to survive from her wounds, and most likely through the to the end of the pregnancy.**_

_**She didn't understand him (most oomans had trouble understanding yautja speech). Her movements grew more fervent, but sloppy in her compromised state. There was something to admire in that. However, it only made him concerned for her and her offspring's health. He carefully pressed her closer, concentrating as he let out a low purr. She let out a small, confused noise, but after a moment, her body started to relax.** _

_**Huh, he didn't know that could work on oomans. It usually works with other yautja, namely females and young ones to comfort them when distressed or injured. Every once in a while, there was a twitch or a tenseness where she'd tried to move, but couldn't. It was understandable. Oomans weren't built for this stuff, not even her.**_

_**"Ooman, cease." She paused, shaking her head, her eyelids fluttering as she fought to wake up. "I will not harm you."** _

_**Not wanting to frighten her more, he released her hands cautiously, and they instinctively went to guard her lower abdomen, her breathing shaky at best. He pressed a few more buttons on the mask as they entered the ship, halting when, half-awake at best, she pleaded, growling, "D-Don't, don't hurt, my...My baby."** _

_**Not knowing why he needed to, he nodded. When she became totally lax against him, he almost panicked, relieved to find her heartbeat still there.**_

Even in her near unconscious state, she'd been fighting.

This ooman, in his centuries of existence, was the most terrifying being he'd ever come across.

* * *

The first thing the woman did when she woke up was sit up to scream, but stopped herself by covering her mouth. Shuddering, she tried to stand up, only to fall back into...Was she on a bed? No, she couldn't do this again. She was not going to wake up in an unfamiliar motel with something hurting. She was not going to feel dirty or used without understanding why. She was not going to let her fear take over.

Everything started returning to her. Holy shit, she took out a dinosaur. Okay, it wasn't _exactly_ a dinosaur, but she still killed it. But, there'd been so much blood, so much...Why was she just sore and not in agony right now? Peeking downwards, she found bandages around her body. It wasn't just the burns or scars that bothered her, she was used to those. What bothered her, was that those parts of her were numb.Tearing up, she checked her abdomen. She couldn't feel her baby. There was no real way to know if the kid still had a heartbeat. The thought of losing her baby nearly sent her bawling. Those feelings were quickly accompanied by sheer rage.

A sliding, mechanical door opened, and she sprung, growling at the intruder. It was a stripper, wearing his mask, and he had a tray with what looked like soup. Acting instinctively, her knuckles cracked against the hardness of his mask, sending it flying. She didn't even hesitate when his real face was revealed, her other hand slamming his mandibles and part of his forehead, the former bending at an angle she doubted that they should. It was a move she knew that could shatter a nose (too bad he didn't appear to have one), and shove those pieces into the brain. It didn't work. He roared in fury, but she snatched up the tray he had been carrying, and hit the side of his face hard enough to knock him down. As he tried to recover, she made a run for it. Just outside, were the two others.

Both of them tensed and she growled, unable to hide how her eyes watered in grief. Instead, she broke off the tray, creating shards that could be used as knives. Her hands were sliced in the process, but she managed to stab one of the bastards in the abdomen. He started to fall over, but the bigger, more mature one moved swiftly behind her, trying to contain her. Well, guess what? She took a bloody self defense course for women in college. Size didn't particularly matter here as she moved one of her legs behind his, and flipped him over her shoulders. He made a noise of surprise, stilling when she reached to slice his throat. It was almost tempting to use her teeth to tear out his throat instead, but she didn't have the time. But with how jagged the remnant was, she had no doubt he'd die a slow, agonizing death as he wallowed in his own blood, drowning without being able to do anything about it.

Unfortunately, the other two grabbed onto her, keeping her from taking any kind of revenge she desired.

"FUCK YOU!"she screamed, fighting them with all of her might.

She thought she heard something snap, but that didn't stop them. Then, they did something really, really funky. One of them started making this, pleasant kind of rumbling. The others quickly followed, and against all reason and instinct, she found herself stilling, relaxing. She shook her head, trying to break out of whatever the fucking bloody hell they were doing to her.

"Calm ooman."

At this point, she didn't even care if she could understand them now. She didn't care how conflicted he sounded, or how soft his tones attempted to be. That hardly mattered compared to everything else.

"What do you want from me?" She was screaming, pissed off and in pain. "You tried to fucking kill me, and you killed my baby, my baby!" The creature visibly flinched, all three did, whether at her words or her rage, she couldn't tell. She didn't even bother to hide her tears. "You'd better give me a damned good reason not to fucking _slaughter_ you."

Who the fuck cared if they were huge enough that they towered over her? Who cared if they was all kinds of muscles she wasn't even going to try to understand? She had whooped his ass earlier, killed at least half a dozen of those things, and took out a fucking dinosaur! She'd killed before, and she was damned prepared to do it again. She would find a way, she always had. His hands and fingers were twitching, and he looked ready to fight her. He paused, taking out what looked like a spare mask, pressed a couple of buttons, and held it out in her direction.

"Oh no, you're not knocking me out," she hissed.

He flinched, "No, I'm not. We saved you, and your pup."

Pup? Her baby, her baby was still alive? Those eyes were earnest, confusing her. She stared up at him, trying to read those unfamiliar features, tentatively taking his offering, and she placed it on her face. There was something like suction, and she almost yanked it off as it changed to fit her face. Clawed hands stopped her though, firm but careful. Then, the woman jumped slightly at seeing her child's heartbeat. It was accompanied by foreign writing she couldn't recognize or even hope to read, and shown in an array of colors. But, despite all of that, seeing a pulse was obvious, as was seeing the fetus in her womb. She had been still for a long moment, long enough to be released, and then she fell to her knees, startling whatever these things were. Hugging her middle, she sobbed with relief, probably staining the mask. She wasn't going to apologize for anything though, not after everything she'd been through. For whatever it was worth, they allowed her to just, let it out.

It was a few minutes before she reluctantly returned it, tentative as she said, "I er...Thank you." It was awkward, uncomfortable. She paused as she saw neon green, glowing blood on her hands. Oh right, she stabbed one of them. Glancing behind herself, she saw the stabbed one putting on some kind of paste that sealed his wounds. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "The fuck?"

"Will you listen now?"

Her mind blanked for a moment as she stared upwards at the guy again. He wasn't wearing his mask, and this time, she was getting a good look at him instead of in a flash of a moment. She was about to answer when her stomach growled louder than she had. Her cheeks burned, likely darkening in embarrassment. There was a breathy, deep series of clicking from the being, and she glared, not finding it amusing in the slightest. He was laughing, right? Not meeting those eyes, she confessed, "...I don't even remember the last time I ate."

Maybe it was from her concussion, but some parts of her memory were still fuzzy. Eating was part of those memories.

He stiffened, then marched elsewhere while the other two made those weird ass purring noises again. At some point, they'd removed their masks. One looked a lot like the one that left, and the other a lot less. A vein in her forehead was twitching, "Please, stop that. It's creeping me out. You sound like those _things_. The ones that ate people."

Both paused, then changed the kind of purring they made into a different tone that didn't sound remotely like those monsters. Blinking, she didn't know how to feel about this development. The sounds were soothing, but she shouldn't let down her guard. Instead, she looked around, trying to distract herself away from how they were trying to calm her. It was a hallway made completely of metal, fog of some kind drifting slightly off the floor. Curious, she waved her hand against it, raising her eyebrows. How could air feel grainy? Was this even safe to breathe?

...Was it even safe for her kid to be exposed to this shit? Was it like smoking? It was tempting to go back into whatever prison they had her in, away from this. But, it was a prison, wasn't it?

"Ooman." She slowly turned, narrowing her gaze at him in suspicion. The big one met her eyes evenly, almost neutrally. He held up that weird paste stuff. "I need to heal your hands."

Oh, right, her hands were bleeding. Whoops. She looked at his clawed hands, sighing before tensely moving closer to him, placing her hands over his. She immediately wanted to yank them back, but forced herself to stay. With shocking gentleness, he rubbed the solvent on her wounds, causing her to wince. The shit stung, but right before her eyes, the cuts disappeared. Seriously though, these people were hunting her before. They decapitated and hung other humans like meat in a butcher's shop. How the hell was she still alive? Why did they let her live? And why were they helping her?

The guy reappeared, a couple of his mandibles still at a bad angle. Oops? On a tray was a soup bowl. It looked like broth, and smelled like it too. "Eat." At her look, he made a sound akin to sighing. " _Please_."

She eyed him and the food skeptically, but her hunger won out. The big guy gestured to the room they had her in. "It's safer in there. Our atmosphere isn't healthy for you."

He was trying to reason with her. She wasn't being forced. Did these guys have a sudden personality change? Pausing, she slowly moved in, eyeing the area, and them, with skepticism. Each sat at a different part of the room, not exactly surrounding or closing in on her, but attempting to act as some form of barrier to keep her from leaving. So, she really was a prisoner after all.

The one she was most familiar with sat across from her, tapping other things into his gauntlet. He didn't eat, none of them did, but merely waited for her to finish what tasted like broth. She didn't want to think about what said broth was made from. She couldn't restrain her slight whimper from how much she had to fight the urge to just wildly gobble everything offered to her. She was _not_ an animal, believe it or not. She did shut her eyes as her stomach growled still. The being disappeared from the room once more, carrying in another tray, gesturing to it. As she ate, all tended to injuries that she had bestowed on them. She wasn't going to apologize for that. All of them were assholes.

Still, she could _try_ to get along with them? Just a little? It wasn't advantageous to antagonize them, too much.

"I'm very tempted to call you a caveman now," she snorted. "You have to eat too, don't you? I can't just have all of this."

"I have eaten. You eat."

What did they even eat? Not sure how to comment, she did as he said, becoming tired. Tugging her knees to her chest, she said, "You didn't drug this, did you? I'm not-"

"Mo," he answered at first before she heard an electronic beep. Where'd that even come from? "No, the food is not 'drugged'. You are tired."

The woman couldn't stop herself from nodding, her eyes trying to close on her. She pinched her arm, ignoring how one of them growled. She needed answers. "You wanted to talk earlier? Well, I'm listening."

He was surprised, as were the others. What, did they expect her to attack one of them again? She was a bitch, but that much of one.

Well, maybe she was, but she tried not to be a bitch unless someone pissed her off, which was often.

These guys just had a habit of doing it more than she expected.

...

..

.

Bhu'ja had watched as the ooman ate, struggling with something unseen. She appeared to do that a lot, but it was somewhat understandable.

Thinking back, he recalled her expression. She had looked at them, finally, as she did one of the kainde amedha. She was fully ready to kill them, and for at least one of their party, she almost did. Though yautja were notably stronger than oomans, it took at least two of them to restrain her, trying not to harm her as they did so. It was a test of their patience after she had attacked them. But, that patience withered into regret and sorrow once they learned she thought they killed her offspring. None could blame her for her wrath upon the realization. If they had, such actions would have been completely justified.

Something else that surprised him, was how unafraid she was of his true appearance. It was enough to allow his brother and the young blood they were training to remove their masks. They'd avoided doing it since most oomans were disgusted to see them. That, or frightened. They had wanted not to stress her further. However, she seemed slightly fascinated, but shockingly neutral. At least she didn't call them, "One ugly motherfucker," like so many had. Believe it or not, Bhu'ja was at least found comely by his people's standards. Perhaps she was still in shock of events, trying to adapt.

She was good at that.

He and his brother were upset when she pinched herself, but knew she was trying to stay awake. Her arms were full of bruises like the one she was likely making now. How many times had she nearly slept while being hunted?

"We can talk," he said slowly, carefully. "Please, stop harming yourself."

She wouldn't trust them, not yet, and she had every reason not to. But, the fact that she'd been willing to accommodate their requests had been spectacular in itself, even if only to suit her own needs. 

"Then talk," she demanded, no, ordered.

With such polar behavior, he was unsure what she'd do. Would she attack them again? Or would she actually listen?

One way to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter has name reveals, and news is broken to the ooman about her future.
> 
> Spoiler: She's pissed off.


	7. A rose by any other name...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Names are given, and as our pregnant lady learns about her captors, she receives some very bad news.
> 
> For future reference, the names of the yautja are ones used in comics and novelizations, but aren't the characters themselves. It's like having common names such as "John" or "Jane" in the English language.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be able to update for the next week because I'm settling back into college, so I'm posting this chapter early to make up for it.
> 
> Thank you for reading!

The being before her was trying to find the right words to say, and failing. One could see it in his expression, even it they were totally different species. He was lost, unsure. A part of her wanted to help him, but she was also conflicted. This was, these were, the people who had killed humans, including some strangers she knew. One of whom had been the nice and understanding ultrasound technician that helped her see her baby for the first time. Another was a security guard that helped her walk through the doors when she'd been terrified at the idea of being pregnant in the first place. The folks there had been patient, understanding, kind...

It didn't mean they weren't without fault, but she severely doubted any of them deserved to die the way they did, eaten, decapitated, or hung up like meat in a butcher's shop. And the people she just ate in front of, and allowed to touch her? They were murderers that had massacred those good strangers that brought her some comfort in hard times. So, she wasn't very inclined to help the killer in front of her, no matter how nicely he and his cohorts were treating her at the moment.

But, she also needed information, and it would help having an ally or two if she hadn't ruined those chances already. This was about survival, and not just for her. Might as well make this temporary truce more bearable. "...I'm not sure about you, but one way to make things easier to talk about back home was to introduce ourselves. I'll start." Clearing her throat, she said, "My name is Aya, Aya Prynne."

The youngest appeared confused, and the elder two blinked. "You're named after a goddess of light and love?"

"Huh?" Oh, right. "My name has multiple meanings. I have mixed heritage so my family wanted to give me a name all members could appreciate."

"Mixed heritage?"

These guys, really were aliens, weren't they? Didn't they notice how differently colored humans could be? The fact that they didn't, or at least didn't seem to care, was...Nice. Or maybe all humans just looked like prey. At least they didn't discriminate. Thinking carefully, she said, "It means my family members came from multiple places of origins, different lands. Most of them have different colored skin, which is why I might look darker, or lighter, compared to some humans." Wow, this was seriously going to test her, wasn't it? Well, she'd have to do something similar for her kid. Explaining stuff was a good thing to practice. "I didn't know it was the name of a goddess though."

Colorful, beautiful, wisdom, flight, music, tortoise...The list went on and on. The one of the few meanings she liked was that in one language her name meant "sword". She forgot which one though. It was hard and a bit annoying to catch up with it all. But, a goddess? "In one of the first of your ancient civilizations, it was the name of a female deity. She was charged with the rising dawn."

Squinting, she admitted, "That, sounds a bit uh..." Was stupid an appropriate word? Too callous? "Yeah, the sun doesn't work that way."

Ancient civilizations or not, those people sounded like they'd been on drugs. Her words amused the aliens. "She was also a goddess of justice."

Yes! "Now _that_ sounds better," Aya said. Hold on, these were aliens, right? She narrowed her eyes. "How do you know that?"

"Our people, the yautja, have been visiting your planet for thousands of years."

Um? Thoughts churning, she couldn't help but ask about a weird ass theory people have come up with. Doubting it, and a bit amused by the very concept, she chuckled, "Don't tell me you guys built the pyramids or something."

The youngest one made a huffing noise, only to get jabbed in the ribs. "No, we instructed your people how to do it though." Seeing her expression, he added, "They viewed us as gods, and they sometimes offered us tribute. In return, we granted them knowledge that aided them."

Their people had been spacefaring for that long? Were there other extraterrestrial species this advanced? Did those visit Earth too? How long had Earth and those on it been influenced by otherworldly sapient life? And, were humans viewed as animals for being less technologically advanced? Is that why hunting her had been viewed as acceptable? If so, why spare her?

It was so tempting to toss a tray or bowl at his head at her frustration. "Dare I ask what 'tribute' you wanted?" She had a feeling considering what it could be from what she had witnessed before. Aya just wanted them to confirm it. "No wait, let me guess, human sacrifice?"

Like a foxhunt. Prey was made readily available.

"How do you-?"

She glared. "I've seen your handiwork." The disappointment and anger were clear in her tone. There was a silence that echoed until she breathed in and out, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Let me get this straight, your advanced people took advantage of those more vulnerable than you, for what? Sport? Entertainment? I know humans, even back then, weren't innocent, but for crying out loud-"

"We do not hunt the innocent." It was the familiar one who spoke. This time, he was the angry one. "They were either sacrifices that were willing, or that had done harm. Most were criminals."

That still didn't make it right, and it didn't explain those back at the faciility. "Do you have a set of rules when it comes to killing us?"

"We have them for all that we hunt," the big one clarified. He went to list them. "When hunting, the hunter must be sure that his prey is considered game, and lawful to kill. If the hunter fails in one’s quest, they will die in honor than live in shame." Harsh. But, if clarified a few things. If the others fought back or did something to act irrationally in their fear, then by these guys' rules they were fair game. Again, that didn't make it right. But it also made her question why she was alive. How many times had she endangered their lives? Or at least ticked them off? She even went out full murder mode less than an hour ago. Were they saving her for a hunt? Was she their fox to stalk and kill? "To take the trophy of another Yautja, living or dead, is to be considered to be a grave insult."

She inclined her head in genuine curiosity, "You guys take trophies?"

The youngest one, especially, puffed up his chest. Careful kiddo, your hubris might get you killed. "Of course. It's how we show our strength and worth to our people, and our females. Do your hunters not do the same?"

Arching a brow, she realized he was right on that part. It, that was a he, right? She really shouldn't assume anything about gender. "Trophies are the only way to measure your worth? Really?"

That wasn't as impressive as they might believe. If _everyone_ hunted, then there wasn't enough diversity in abilities to maintain their lifestyles. Then again, that applied to humans and not necessarily yautja. After all, they were exploring space, and their physiques suggested they were in good health. They had their own modes of transportation, and though insane to her, that may not be the case wherever they came from...She still wanted an explanation as to why they dressed like strippers. How could that kind of outfit be functional in hunting?

"Our skills and abilities in battle also prove our worth," the big one said. "A large reason to do so is to impress females and prove we can procreate the best offspring." So providing a safe and stable environment in all of this wasn't the thing to impress females? Or acts to show how capable they were to raise said offspring? Did all the females do the work? How misogynistic were these people? And, it felt weird, talking about this stuff so casually after all she witnessed and experienced from them. Why were they explaining anything to her at all? "You have a trophy."

"Huh?"

The familiar guy nodded, "The queen kainde amedha you killed was worthy prey. We cleaned the flesh from its bones. You may keep it. Otherwise, it will be disposed of."

Queen? "Kainde amedha?"

Was she pronouncing that right? Thankfully they didn't seem offended by her terrible attempt at saying it. "The hard meats." That didn't explain anything at all. "The ' _things'_. Namely, the large one you killed."

"Oh." Wow. And, they couldn't take it because of that rule? "No offense, I'm not looking to impress anyone."

One of them grumbled, "You already have."

She wanted to ask about what he meant, but the youngest one asked, "Do you already have a mate?"

Aya froze. With a growl, she said, "Ask that again, and I will remove your genitals, stuff them into your innards through multiple orifices. Then I will watch your body be impaled on one of your own spears. Very, slowly."

That got him to shut up. The other two didn't flinch at all, but one she could've sworn was grinning. Besides, Aya really wanted to get away from the topic of how she killed so many of those _kainde_ _amedha_. Thinking back to that, it had felt like that wasn't her at all. It felt both so wrong, and so right. It felt like a different person than the one she used to think she was. Aya always had anger management issues, but she tended to be more self controlled and a lot less violent. Sure, she had homicidal and suicidal ideation, but that never equated to _wanting_ to kill somebody. Her mind just, came up with ways someone could die, more often than to prevent someone else from getting hurt via stupidity. "What are the other rules?"

"To kill another Yautja, intentionally, is the worst crime." And murdering other sapient species wasn't? Assholes. "Never harm the innocent. Those who have done no harm should have no harm done to them." What was defined as _harm_ according to these guys? She still had a hard time believing those staff, or all of the patients, had tried to harm the yautja. "When hunting for food, take only the weak. This is to purify the species’ line."

A part of her wanted to ask if they believed in eugenics, but decided against that thought. From what little she understood now, hunting and possibly massacring was their thing, not genocide. It didn't make their actions any better, but it eased her mind ever so slightly "When coming upon game wounded by another hunter, and the prey is dying without sport, show honor to another’s kill. If the game still shows sport, it is to be joint trophy."

"Wait, so how isn't the queen kainde amedha a joint trophy? I was wounded, and you guys helped."

At least the big one did? He tried to distract the queen? Right? Her memory was still a bit fuzzy.

"Our efforts did nothing," the big one stated coolly. He was agitated by the mere thought of being unsuccessful. And, was he pissed that she killed that thing? Jealous? Aya was just trying to stay alive! "And you were the one who ultimately killed it. It was your prey, not ours." That, was something. "In addition: Do not join another’s Hunt, or Hunt in their territory, without their permission. All trophies taken in this manner are stolen trophies, and shall be dealt with by the rightful owner. Had we taken it, this rule would be broken as we did not have your permission. It is wholly your decision what to do with it."

She didn't respond to that.

The next set of rules was spoken by the yautja she had encountered most. His eyes were serious, meeting hers with something she didn't completely understand. "Never harm the ill or offspring. With the former, we are obligated to spare them unless they attack us. However for the offspring clause, which includes the life they are tied to: the parent caring for, or carrying the offspring, there are no exceptions, even if they harm you." Her hand automatically fell to her lower abdomen. She was being spared because she was pregnant? And here she had thought that was what made her easier prey. It certainly was a viewpoint back home. Man, humans sucked. "Those who defeat you in a fair Hunt or who are the victors in more dangerous hunts, and show you mercy are to be considered our equals." What? "You must either kill them and yourself, or bestow them with a reward."

What was he searching for? "Hold on, so when I kept you from getting killed, that means..."

How many times had she kept him from dying again? Her memory still wasn't working. 

"As I cannot harm or kill you, I owe you a reward." He paused. "I, I also harmed you. We are still unsure of your health. To uphold my honor, I must see to your health."

He owed her at least twice over? One as a reward, and another as penance for his actions. "...What happens if you fail to follow through any one of these rules?"

His gaze reminded her of officials whose very auras could command respect. He might be saying this so that she was aware of the ramifications of her actions unto him. Was this really the same one that had reminded her of a cartoon character? "I will be labeled a Bad Blood, a criminal, and be killed the moment I am encountered by any one of my people."

A part of her felt pity for him, and another felt sadistic. For what he and his cohorts did, a large part of her wanted them to suffer. Another, wanted to apologize. "...I'm sorry. I couldn't just leave you like that. I just brought you more pain, which was the opposite of what I wanted."

She had wanted to save him for reasons she didn't know how to phrase. The big guy asked in disbelief, "What are you?"

Confused, she decided to shrug and flatly say, "I'm pregnant." Yeah, for maybe thirty six weeks, if the doctors had been right. That severely limited her possible lifespan if he did owe her until then. Raking a hand through her hair, she sighed. "So, what? I'm stuck with you until I give birth? Then you kill me?" Why did this feel so numb? At the hesitance, she guessed she was right. She'd be considered prey, again...Would they raise her child for slaughter when they grew up? Would they dump her baby on planet, alone? She couldn't let that happen. "Just so you know, I'll never go down without a fight."

"I will not harm you," he said, surprising her with how certain, maybe sincere, he sounded. "I swear it. I will never harm you, or kill you. It is part of your reward."

Right, _reward_. That didn't mean he couldn't get someone else to do it. "You'll just let me go once my baby is born, then?"

He was wincing. Why was he wincing? "Your people tried to kill you."

They had wanted to blow up the entire building, no matter if there were any survivors. But, surely they would have tried to help her after all that? After all, she took out the biggest threat? Should she really trust his word? As if sensing her thoughts, he held out his mask once more, pressing a few buttons. Tentative, she put it on, still flinching when it changed form to fit her face. There was a video from a recording. In it, she saw a soldier shoot her. Is that why that part of her was sore more than other spots? Sure, the vest kept her alive, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. What mattered most though, was that someoen she should've been able to trust shot her when she wasn't even conscious. They would have killed her and her baby in their fear. There might have been worse things that happened if she had survived. Or what if she didn't, but they got her kid instead? For all she knew, they would perform experiments because of how much she'd been exposed to. Aya took the mask off, grimacing. Would she ever be able to return home? Live normally? Or as close to normal as possible?

Thinking of different ways her future could play out, she couldn't help but ask, "What are you going to do with me?"

Feeling helpless was not something she liked, at all. Kneeling before her, the yautja swore, "I will protect you, and your young."

Because he was apparently honor bound to. Terrific? "I can't go back, can I?"

It wasn't a question. They both knew the answer. "No, it is not safe there, and by our code, I could not leave you there."

Her hands were shaking, her fury growing with every second. It was hard to tell who she was pissed at though. Aya's anger hit a peak when two of them started purring. Fuck that noise. "If you guys continue that right now, I will learn just how breakable the rest of your bones are, and those could join my _trophy_." They seemed to take her threat seriously. Well, she did take down something bigger than the three of them combined, and nearly killed at least one of them. Breathing in and out, she did her best to collect herself. Swallowing, she asked, "Can I at least know the names of the people keeping me prisoner?"

"You aren't-" She glared, clenching her fists as she fought the urge to break something. "...I am Bhu'ja."

"Boo-jee-ya?" she tried. It sounded like "Booyah". Damn it, she was too tired for this shit. "Boo-...You know what, I'm just gonna call you 'Boo'. It's the sound a ghost makes, and like them you come out of nowhere and scare the shit out of people."

That invisibility cloak he used was annoying as hell. The young one got smacked when he began laughing despite the somber mood in the air. She inclined her head in thanks to the big one for keeping him in line. "I am Bhu'ja's older mei'hswei." Huh? There was another beep, and she wondered how much of this was being translated by a device. Please don't say it was like Google Translate, wherever it was. "I'm his older brother." Couldn't he just have said that? "My name is Bakuub." Why did that name sound familiar? "And this s'yuit-de_"

"Idiot," Bhu'ja clarified, much to the objection of the idiot.

"-Is Kata'nu. He is a novice and in training."

He really was a kid then, maybe a teenager, and he was still bigger than her. Aya wasn't a short woman per se, but holy fucking hell this sucked. No, not just him, but everything about this day. Days? How long had she been out of it? How long would she have? What kind of life, if any, could she live? She was overwhelmed from having too many emotions to deal with, and starting to fall into exhaustion she couldn't ignore anymore. She grunted, "No offense, can I be alone now? I'm tired and...I need to take this in."

That was hard to admit, but having some space would be considered a blessing at this point. Bhu'ja was the last one out, pausing to watch her get under the covers. In her growing semi-conscious state, she knew that the lights were dimmed, and as her breathing slowed, a blanket was draped over her. Despite the kind gesture, she didn't thank him. Aya didn't think she'd be able to say anything without screaming at them. She burrowed herself into them, seeking warmth and comfort. The bed was comfortable at least...

Today was the most she cried in months.

Damn, she was pathetic.

...

..

.

"That went better than expected."

"She nearly killed me," Bakuub deadpanned, glancing at the metallic shards on the floor.

He raised a hand to his throat, clearly remembering how close he'd been to death. Had Bhu'ja and Kata'nu been a moment later, Bhu'ja would have lost his brother from her grief induced wrath. Bhu'ja reminded them, "I thought we all anticipated a violent reaction out of her."

Kata'nu was still touching his side. "Not anything _that_ extreme." Bhu'ja and Bakuub did. That might be the reason they were alive. The ooman female was not to be underestimated. "Did you mean what you said, teacher? That you'd protect her?"

"Yes," Bhu'ja answered without hesitation. It wasn't right seeing her like this. He was almost tempted to ask the ooman female if she needed to hunt as he would offer to one of his people when they were stressed, but she wasn't like them, and she couldn't. As the others left, he walked into one of the trophy rooms. There he saw the skeleton of the kainde amedha that she had killed. With it, visions of her fights, her battle cries, and her rage filled his mind. No, any life he might be able to grant her wouldn't suit her at all. Aya's spirit might wither away.

That's right, the ooman's name was Aya.

It was fitting.

...He wondered how she would feel if she learned his name mean "ghost".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked the name "Aya" because it's used all around the world, including in Japanese, large parts of Europe, the Middle East, Egyptian, and even indigenous groups in America like the Cherokee. This lets Aya's heritage be largely open to interpretation. 
> 
> Keeping that in mind, I'll only confirm one thing about her ethnicity...She's not white.
> 
> As for the meanings behind each of the cast's names:
> 
> Bhu'ja: Ghost/Spirit
> 
> Bakuub: Black Spear
> 
> Kata'nu: No meaning was listed in the story that the name came from that I could find (Predator: If It Bleeds), but it sounds like some names relating to "honor" and "worthy" in multiple languages, or fighting including "kata" which is a form of martial arts.
> 
> As for Aya's name...Use Google. I'm lazy.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	8. One-shots and character details

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This contains material not canon to story, or might become canon.
> 
> It's mostly one-shots though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will contain slight spoilers, but only to help clarify a few things.

(Deleted) Scenes/Dialogue:

  1. Scene between new human and Aya: 
    1. "Holy shit those guys are ugly motherfuckers."
    2. Aya knew saying this would probably get her into trouble, especially since she was pregnant, but..."I wouldn't call them _ugly_."
    3. At the stare she got, she just grinned, arching a brow. "...How in the fuck did you-?"
    4. Her smirk grew, and she winked before walking away, leaving their new guest gaping and making confused noises.
  2. Extended Scene Regarding Aya's Relationships 
    1. "Do you already have a mate?"

    2. Aya froze. With a growl, she said, "Ask that again, and I will remove your genitals, stuff them into your innards through multiple orifices. Then I will watch your body be impaled on one of your own spears. Very, slowly."

      1. Deleted: 
        1. "But, you're pregnant? So doesn't that mean there's a father?"
        2. The other yautja somehow paled at the look she gave. There were so many things Aya wanted to say, to threat, to follow up on said threats. "There is _NO_ father."
  3. Regarding Physiology 
    1. She saw their nipples. Yautja had nipples! They are mammalian! Question was, did that mean their females breastfed? If so, how with the mandibles?! And why did that excite her so damn much?! The brothers made clicking noises at first before the translator picked up on their speech. "- is Aya here?"
    2. Her hand moved before she could finish a thought. Bhu'ja yelped as her fingers delivered him a purple nurple. His brother burst into laughter while Kata'nu ran to hide. Trying not to laugh herself, she said, "And that's why you should wear more clothes.
  4. Baby Names 
    1. Kata'nu sat next to her. Damn it, how was a teenage taller than her?! "Have you thought of any names for your offspring?"
    2. Aya grimaced, "I used to have a list of possibilities back home, and I tried to have them be gender neutral but that got left behind for obvious reasons."
    3. "Ghost."
    4. "Huh?"
    5. "You should name them, 'ghost'."
    6. "Oookay, any particular reason?" 
      1. There was no way he was going to tell her it was traditional for at least one parent to give one of their names to their offspring. Or, it was for the brothers' family. "It just sounds nice."
  5. Movies 
    1. "How do you guys have a copy of Kill Bill?! And both volumes?! Can we watch it?!"
    2. The yautja had never seen her so...giddy. So, they set up one of the monitors to watch off of, getting her snacks so she could eat while watching the film. They joined her, making exclamations as they did so. When the other two yautja were asleep, Bakuub asked, "Why do you like this movie?"
    3. She shrugged, still smiling jovially. "I used to watch this with my family. She was my hero. I didn't think about how morally gray she was until I got older, but, I wanted to be as amazing as her. I wanted to be strong, to be brave..."
    4. Her voice drifted, her eyes closing in her slumber. Bakuub tensed as her head leaned against his arm as though it were a pillow. Carefully adjusting her and placing a blanket on her sleeping form, he murmured, "You already are."



**About the Main Cast as of Chapter 7**

**Character**

| 

**Species**

| 

**Physical Description**

| 

**Character Past**

| 

**Personality Type**

  


For this part I took a personality test, trying to imagine their reactions to the questions.So this may not be accurate.  
  
---|---|---|---|---  
  
Aya Prynne

| 

Human

| 

Specifically left vague with exception her being of mixed heritage/race.

  


Has noticeably strong legs and arms (from playing sports), which has aided her in getting out of difficult situations. She has a habit of hiding them because they draw too much attention.

| 

Aya was placed into numerous schools as a result of disciplinary issues, primarily because of her difficulty controlling her anger and abundance of energy. She found an outlet when she joined the girl scouts as a preteen, and later as a teen she joined Track and Field. The latter helped her earn a scholarship to college.

| 

[https://www.16personalities.com/entj-personality](https://www.16personalities.com/entj-personality)  
  
Bhu’ja

“Boo”

| 

Yautja

| 

“The first thing she noticed were the eyes. They were glowing in starkness to his darkened skin. ...He had all these little light spots like freckles, or like spots on a dalmatian. His skin wasn't scaly, but it was almost reptilian in appearance. His forehead was large, and it had a marking she didn't recognize.”

| 

Following in his eldest brother’s footsteps, Bhu’ja is a Hunting Captain training his first apprentice, with varying results.

  


He is typically cool-headed and methodical, but a certain ooman has been getting under his skin lately.

  


Regardless, he keeps his promises, and for reasons beyond code and honor. In that way, he can be considered trustworthy.

| 

[https://www.16personalities.com/istp-personality](https://www.16personalities.com/istp-personality)  
  
Bakuub

| 

Yautja

| 

“Another seemed less agile and more muscular, leaving him a limited range of motion.”

What's Aya's picked up on is that the brothers look a lot alike, but Bakuub is larger and more muscular.

| 

Bakuub is the eldest son of a clan leader. Having lived for centuries, he’s developed an understanding of prey that has allowed him to become a great hunter. He has a strong moral code, and has practice taking care of those close to him.

  


As a Former Hunting Captain and newly made Adjutant, Bajuub’s goals include keeping his younger brother alive, and ensuring that nothing too chaotic will happen during any mission he participates in.

  


So much for that.

| 

[https://www.16personalities.com/infj-personality](https://www.16personalities.com/infj-personality)  
  
Kata’nu

| 

Yautja

|  He's young, and is of lighter color than the brothers. Aya hasn't gotten a real good look at him. | 

Young and adventurous, Kata’nu struggles to remain respectful when his teachers/guardians overlook things that make situations difficult.

  


He’s known for being friendly, maybe a little _too_ friendly at times.

  


Deleted dialogue:

  


*Aya does something badass in chapters after this*

  


“...Would it be bad to ask if once I’m blooded I could ask for her to bear one of my future offspring?”

  


“What?!”

| 

[https://www.16personalities.com/enfp-personality](https://www.16personalities.com/enfp-personality)  
  
Baby 

| 

Human

| 

They haven’t been born yet, so no idea. Assume they'll share looks with their mother.

They have strong legs that are good for kicking, much to Aya's misery.

| 

They like kicking a lot, and are really, really picky. They notably like pickles and chocolate, with the occasional cheese whip mixed with nutella.

  


They’re energetic like their mother, but maybe not quite as angry.

| 

?

  


Most likely: [https://www.16personalities.com/enfj-personality](https://www.16personalities.com/enfj-personality)

  
  



	9. Sparring Session

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank elven_prophecy for giving me advice for future chapters and beta reading some of the work on this.

Aya could kill them, and she knew she could do it. It was really, really tempting too. Unfortunately, she was currently in an enclosed space of metal in the vacuum of space, with no idea of how to navigate or use the technology that piloted the ship she was on. So unless she was suicidal, killing them wasn't a good option. Ugh.

It had been two days, and Aya spent a lot of the time eating, sleeping, and trying not to puke.

The food itself wasn't bad, even if she didn't know _what_ it was. It's just, even when she satisfied cravings sometimes, for some reason the dumbass, darling, picky baby inside her didn't want what she ate. They couldn't freakin' make up their mind about what they wanted. Sometimes she was absolutely ravenous, and other times she could only take fluids. and she drank a _lot_ of fluids. She was still barely showing, the fetus recently become sixteen weeks. She was near the halfway point of her pregnancy, and was hitting the stages where she would become a balloon. It was a bit surreal, even in all of this.

Plus, she was still having morning sickness. _Yay_.

The yautja had shown her the first day she was awake where the bathroom was because she was in near desperate need of it often, and not just for normal reasons. The lavatory was weird in itself because it wasn't a toilet, or something to squat down in. It was this weird bowl thing that apparently disintegrated bodily fluids and other substances when you told it to. And, there was no burning smell. According to Bakuub, the gases and feces could be used for fuel on the ship. It was both clever, and disgusting. She had to ask if the gas outside her assigned room was partially that gas, which amused the big guy to no end. He informed her that yautja could breathe in air from Earth, but ,especially during travel, it's preferable to breathe in air similar to their home planet's climate.

"...Why are you being nice to me?" she asked Bakuub. The yautja was in her room, peeling a kind of fruit, much to her wariness. It was one of the few things she could stand to eat for the past forty-eight hours. It was both sweet and bitter, and according to them, it held vitamins and nutrients that aided both yautja and "oomans". For some reason, their ship had data on human physiology, including what poisoned them. Er, maybe the poisoning wasn't that surprising. "I've put you guys in danger, ticked you off gods know how many times, and you _specifically_ I tried to kill."

"By our code-"

"By your code you can't, or shouldn't, kill me. That doesn't mean you can't be angry or hurt me in other ways than physically," she stated. No, she didn't want that, but this all felt so _fake_. She'd rather be hated than have someone pretend that they felt all right being around her. It certainly made them less trustworthy. "And the promise to protect me or see to my health is Bhu'ja's problem, not yours. So, why are you nice to me?"

Just because they were brothers, didn't mean they had to cover for one another. After all, if one of them became a bad blood, the other would have to kill the one who committed the crime. He tilted his head, offering the fruit. Tentative, she took it, inspecting it briefly before taking a bite. One of the only reasons she accepted was because they knew if they poisoned her, they poisoned the baby too. "Those who defeat you in a fair Hunt or who are the victors in more dangerous hunts, and show you mercy are to be considered our equals. Perhaps not one of us, but worthy of respect."

"So? You've said this already. And, I didn't fight-"

"You do not understand," he interrupted. "You may not be yautja, but in a manner, you can now considered to be equal to those within the clan. Well, as equal as a ooman can be compared to Yautja." Really? "There will be some who say otherwise, and might even try to hunt you after the birth of your offspring, but you _may_ have the same rights as our people according to that portion of our laws, however up to interpretation that may be. More so, you are female, which means you have more of a say than our males."

Aya reared back in surprise, almost choking on what she was eating. "Wait, women have more rights?"

The hell? And here she was thinking they were the big macho kind of guys who felt insecure about their manhood. But, they weren't men in the sense of being human, so did that even apply? Did they have genders and gender roles beyond male versus female? Were there any LGBT yautja? Surely there had to be. Was it a cultural taboo?

He blinked, then sighed in understanding. "Unlike Earth, where female oomans are the smaller gender-" Why didn't the translator fix 'oomans' whenever someone talked? Or some of the other words? How do the translators work? "-Our females are larger than us."

"Bigger than you?" she said, looking up and down his form. He had to be at least eight feet tall when standing. "You're freakin' huge."

What was it with these guys smiling around her? Was that even smiling? It was creepy. Could they stop that, please? "They are that big to better birth offspring." Uh, that made sense? Evolutionary-wise at least? "They choose their partners should they choose to bear offspring. That is why males compete fora female's attention. Should we fail to prove our strength, we will not be able to pass on stronger genes to future generations."

"...So, you don't force your females to copulate?" she inquired, genuinely confused at the shift in paradigms.

At her raised eyebrow, he shook his head. "Mo, we do not. If a female chooses you, you are most fortunate and honored to be chosen. I have been honored to father many offspring."

Again, the translator was weird. Where was it anyway? It had to come from somewhere on the ship after all.

"Huh," she said, thinking for a moment. So, they don't have marriage? Was this a primarily polysexual society? Did the females share harems? Suddenly, she had a sickening feeling that had little to do with her current condition. "Do females _have_ to have kids?"

He shook his head again. "Many prefer the hunt, and are not discouraged should they choose to do so. Often, they are stronger and more skilled than we are. Such skill is to be recognized and admired."

In the room she was in was a massively thick window that allowed her to peer into space. As in, literal space. She looked out of it, trying to imagine that kind of world. It sounded like something out of fiction. But, the last few months of her life seemed like something out of fiction too, especially events in the past week. "That's, unexpected."

Maybe she'd have a chance? No, don't get her hopes up. It was better to be practical than to fantasize about something unrealistic. Just focus on adapting, and positives about no longer living on Earth. For example, she had no more college student loans to pay off. Briefly, Aya wondered if anyone would mourn her. "You could as well."

Really? Wait, why did that idea entice her? She normally felt like beating stuff up, but that didn't equate to _wanting_ to. This was different. It was scary. Were her pregnancy hormones affecting her? If that were true, she hoped it wasn't affecting her kid. They didn't need her shit. "...The day you guys came was the first time I killed something, unless you count insects or my pet goldfish by accident when I was younger."

She shouldn't have given Amadeus so much food. Serving sizes were an important thing to consider.

His eyes widened. "You have an innate talent. Most pups can't kill a kainde amedha until they are fully blooded. More so, it is a rare feat for members of _any_ of our castes to defeat a queen. They are considered the ultimate prey," Bakuub explained. "It is something few may experience in a lifetime." How long did these guys live anyway? When she didn't say anything, he make a soft clicking noise to regain her attention. "Do you wish to spar?"

She brightened, regretting it instantly. Shit, could he sense how excited she'd been? How stir crazy she was becoming? "We can spar? I thought you couldn't harm me."

"The intent is not to harm, but to practice. Besides, our females often still spar while they are pregnant." Yautja have reptile-like skin, and mandible thingies, but they're viviparous? Are these guys mammalian? And here she was just starting to get used to the idea she was living with insect lion people who dressed like strippers. "You wish to move, do you not? You are not to be caged." He inclined his head pointedly, "You are not a prisoner."

That last part was absolute bullshit, but...Thinking and weighing her options, she pushed herself up, ignoring his offered hand. "Lead the way."

Besides, if she really was going to be stuck with this kind of people, she might as well adapt to the situation. Her mind wandered as she wondered if her child would train among them too. Would her baby be considered one of them? Would they survive all of this? What life was she giving them? And, would she even survive long enough to see them grow up?

The gas outside had been reduced greatly, and the fog didn't cling to her as much as it did before. It felt a bit more smooth, like water instead of grain. That was still weird. In a room filled with weapons and tools, and a platform, were Kata'nu and Bhu'ja. Both were solely in loin clothes as the fought with what looked like bo staffs, or something close enough. Then, the metal extended into what appeared to be a spear.

"That's a combistick." Combistick? Why did that sound ridiculous? Was the translator working right? And where was it, anyways? "They are given to our young ones once they have completed all training, and are prepared for their first hunt."

Seeing her, both master and student retracted their sticks. The brothers made clicking noises at first before the translator picked up on their speech. Seriously, where was that damned thing?!"- is Aya here?" 

Despite how much trouble they had speaking English, she could recognize her own name. Hearing Boo say it, gave her mixed feelings. Her mind still replayed the times he almost got her killed, her baby killed, directly or indirectly. She spoke for herself instead of letting Bakuub do it. This was supposed to be a near militaristic society where strength had to be prominent in all aspects from what little she understood. If she always had someone else standing up for her, then she'd get nowhere.

"Bakuub informed me that I could spar. I just need to be careful." The urge to kick some ass was tremendous, and she wanted to kick one person's ass very specifically. "And I want to spar, with you."

The other two gaped a little while Bhu'ja studied her. "Why?"

"Besides needing the practice?" she deadpanned. "I have no guarantee of your skills in combat." He let out a growl in irritation, but she continued on anyways. "I can't trust you to protect me and my child as you claim you will, because I have no seen you capable of doing such a thing," she said as neutrally as possible. "And if you can't defend me, I want to be able to defend myself and my child if you either aren't there, or can't fulfill your promise."

That may have been the wrong thing to say, because he was regally pissed. "I am an honored warrior."

"And I'm a 'ooman' female that had to fight off a horde of kainde amedha, which included a queen." Damn, she sounded like a braggart. And here she just wanted them to drop mentioning it. It was so tempting to just dump the skeleton they prepared for her. But, they did go through all that effort to sterilize and preserve a dinosaur for her. At the time she wondered if it was a peace offering of sorts. "During that time, I had to save your life at _least_ twice. I don't know who or what you can do. How can I put any faith into something or someone that I don't know?"

Perhaps the words seemed cruel, but she tried to be as factual as possible. Aya _didn't_ have anything to suggest he could fight. Yes, she had seen him _in_ a fight, but he'd likely have died had she not intervened. When had he won any battle in front of her? She had no guarantee whatsoever. It wasn't a matter of respect, but one of fact. Yeah, she'd gotten into her fair share of fist and scrap fights before, but that was mostly back when she was a teenager, and a preteen. She had never been formally trained in any kind of martial arts, and getting into trouble seemed to have followed her into adulthood. Aya didn't expect for _this_ kind of violence. Hell, she hadn't anticipated this at all.

What happened with the kainde amedha? Despite what the yautja claimed, Aya bet a lot of what she'd done was sheer dumb luck, which wasn't dependable. How many tools, weapons, and supplies had she just conveniently come across? That wouldn't happen again, especially in a totally unfamiliar environment. If she was thrown off by a spaceship, how was she going to survive living with the yautja? How would her child adapt if she couldn't?

Bhu'ja narrowed his eyes, calm enough to see her reasoning. "...Do you have a weapon in mind?"

"I want to practice the areas I know I'm weaker in, namely hand to hand combat." Ugh, it hurt just to admit that. However, she wasn't going to tell him how little experience she had in that. Self defense classes and a few fistfights didn't equal fighting a master of martial arts, even if it's martial arts of a totally different species. Plus, she'd been really bored being cooped up for the past couple of days. Did she want to fight or hurt these people? Hell yes. Was it a smart thing to do? No, more so when it held no benefit, and she wasn't sure she could truly take one of them on.

“Then we shall follow traditional rules of an arena.” Er, hopefully it wasn’t a gladiatorial arena? “Stay on the platform and knock your opponent out.” So, like sumo wrestling? But without the sumo? “To leave willingly is to lose whatever position you’ve gained in the clan.”

Ouch. He inclined his forehead. “If you fail in fighting with others in the clan, you will die.”

But not with him? Her expression belied her silent inquiry. “I am here to train you, as a teacher would. Besides, the platform here is to sort disputes between individuals. The true one is much more dangerous. Some have pits with spikes or other traps that will kill you if you fall.”

Oh, that’s comforting. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Well, it could be worse. Just, just think of not needing to pay student loans. Yep, that helped. “Any more rules I should follow or know about?”

“Use the best of your abilities. There is no cheating, and though outside aid is strongly discouraged, it’s not prohibited.”

So someone from an audience can grab you or keep you from fighting properly. Terrific. But, Aya had also dealt with worse. “All right then. Unless there’s anything else, I guess I’m good to go.” Glancing at his lack of outfit, she said, casually, "By the way, I have to ask, do you guys walk around practically naked wherever you live?"

It was tempting to grab one of the cloths near the platform and wring it up like a towel or whip. If he was going to show that much skin, she could snap his ass with one. That would be hilarious as hell.

"No?"

Why was that an answer or a question? "Then I suggest you fix your current outfit-" Whatever they called it. "-From delving into your crack any further, and get into something a little more appropriate."

Bhu'ja seriously had a major wedgie. How he didn't notice was beyond her. Kata'nu huffed, "Most females would be impressed."

By a walking wall of muscles? Surely there had to be something else? "Excuse me if I don't share your females' opinions of what should be [impressive](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqFLXayD6e8)."

Was she a bitch? Yes, and she was proud of it. Nonchalantly, she got up onto the platform, measuring up the yautja. He grudgingly put on some form of light body armor, er, part of it? Most of what he had was netting, and a cod piece. There was something covering part of his chest, but he still looked like a stripper. At least now he had more coverage. He leaned over and held out a piece smaller than him, supposed to go over the chest, and lower abdomen. Either he wanted to put them on more equal footing, or he wanted to keep his own skin safe by taking more precautions to keep the baby safe.

Still, it was good she was on guard as she snatched the armor with one hand, and blocked him with the other one.Call it a dirty trick, but she ran and tackled him before jumping as if he was a hurdle. Track and field had been awesome. Unfortunately, he had long enough reach to catch her. She did let out a small squeak, jabbing his sternum as she fell onto his chest. He let out a wheeze as air was knocked from his lungs, and another when she raised her leg high, and slammed it down hard on his codpiece. Sure, that thing was meant to protect, but like a bulletproof vest, there was only so much it could do.

"I am betting on the ooman."

"...You are betting against your brother?"

Ignoring them, she propelled herself forward, getting into a boxer's stance as she composed herself. He flipped upwards, nearly doing a hand stand as he got back up on his feet. He winced, but observed her movements. He was trying to find a safe way of beating her, without _physically_ beating her. Both persons had advantages. He had strength and grip that was hard to escape. All she had was pretty much this so called code that kept him from harming her. One of those things was probably more unfair than the other.

Aya couldn't help but grin at the prospect of seeing everything that both she, and he, could do. This was invigorating. He paused, then grinned too. He was just as excited as she was.

He ran at her, and she sidestepped at the last second, attempting to trip him. However, he had reached behind himself, catching her leg in the process. She yelped, somehow finding him cupping her lower back to steady her. It was so tempting to headbutt him, but she’d more likely damage her own skull before doing anything to him. As an alternative, she yanked his hair and twisted.

It caught him off guard. His flinch was enough for her to jab her elbow in his face. To her error in judgement, she forgot that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. So when she hit him, she also pushed herself backwards from the force in the process. Did she fall? Yes. Did she recover her stance? Yes? Was she getting dizzy? Shit.  Next thing she knew, she was tipping over the edge, and in Bakuub’s arms. At first, her ears didn’t process any words, only fuzzy noise. Huh, her nose was bleeding. But, Bhu’ja didn’t hit her? Oh right, her doctor told her it might happen because of the additional blood flow in her body. The voices clearing, she blinked and held her head. “Damn it. I lost.”

Her losing the fight didn’t seem to be a primary concern of theirs. Instead, Bakuub gave her a small piece of cloth to clean up with and began asking all sorts of clinical questions. It was determined that she should eat and rest.

It sucked feeling this weak. She had trouble concentrating, parts of her were constantly sore, and there were some things she did  _ not _ want to mention to the Yautja. Ugh.

Looked like she couldn’t fight anymore, or at least she shouldn't. Was it lucky or unlucky that she was pregnant at the stage that she was?

She should've known that luck was never on her side. It never really was.

A series of blaring alarms went off. Bhu'ja glanced to his brother, nodding while he ran out, Kata'nu not far behind. Bakuub made a sound between a hiss and a growl, putting his mask on, and then picking her up, bridal style. Well, this couldn't be good. She was about to ask what was happening when he put a mask on her too. This one was more suited for her size, and didn't require as much suction to mold to her face.

"Bakuub?"

She couldn't see his face. "Bad bloods." Their version of criminals. The kind of people willing to kill a soon to be mother, and her little one. Fear seared through her, as did anger. Aya was about to say something when he said, "No, you need to stay in your quarters, hidden." He even opened a back panel in the small closet area. It was well hidden, and meant for someone her size or smaller. Most likely a child. Did all their ships have one of these? Did they technically have families? Even with whatever mating practices they had? "You are still healing. You are a great warrior, but you must _not_ fight them."

So she should just stay here and let the bad guys come for her and her baby? Fuck this. But, should she really argue? She had already pushed her limits, passed them really, when she fought for both their lives. She had no idea what these Bad Bloods were like. Her hand over her lower abdomen, she reluctantly nodded. Bakuub clearly locked the door behind him, which was frustrating.

Despite the circumstances, and the extraterrestrials' promises, she meant it when she said she had no guarantee of anything. What she needed to do was ensure her and her baby's safety. Grunting, she looked around for anything she could use to do something that could help. He was right, she shouldn't face them head on, but maybe she could make the Bad Bloods have a harder time?

Searching for something of aid, her heart pounded when she heard incoming footsteps, ones that didn't sound familiar. Cursing inside her head, she moved into the small space that Bakuub had shown her.

After what felt like forever, the door to her quarters was broken into with a loud crash.

Oh, fuck her life. 


	10. Miss Fortune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where the human protagonist decides to make her own luck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Graphic Violence, gore, and immature content...
> 
> Again, don't take this story too seriously. This is mostly for fun.

Those growls and clicks didn't belong to the Yautja she knew. Those were harsher, and they were crashing through things in the room. They were growing closer.

Hand on her belly, on top of the armor Bhu'ja had given her, she did her best to keep herself calm. It sounded like there were two of them. Two unfamiliar yautja, in an enclosed space. Maybe she could use that should she need to. She was smaller, more agile than they were. If she played this right, she could escape. But, they were also fast, faster than her with those long legs. They were also hundreds of pounds of muscle, so her strength wouldn't match theirs. But, it didn't need to. She just needed to know where and when to strike.

Thinking carefully, she found herself smirking. Before, when Bhu'ja had shown Aya that her baby still lived, he pressed certain hidden buttons. Recalling the location of said buttons, she altered the vision on the mask. Her suspicions were correct, there were two of them. After examining them and how they moved, she had a plan. It was a stupid plan, and incredibly risky, but it was better than just waiting for something to happen.

Getting into position, her smile maintained as one opened the door. She swung her foot, kicking his mask off and temporarily blinding him. His face was vulnerable now, excellent. As he tried to recover, she gripped two of his tusks, and snapped them off. Green, _neon_ green, didn't just spill, but splattered as it spurted from his wound. He roared, and she didn't hesitate as she stabbed his eyes with his own tusks as if they were knives. He flailed, and she snatched a tattered combistick from his side, throwing it like a javelin at the other yautja. It went through him, pinning him against the wall behind him. He choked on his blood, bubbling as he fought to breathe. He tried to tear out the combistick, but it was stuck in the wall.

She must've thrown it harder than she thought. Rolling her neck, she sliced the muscles in the newly blinded one's calves, causing him to fall. Standing over him, Aya slashed his throat in a manner she had almost done to Bakuub. The Bad Blood on the ground died faster than the one against the wall.

That, was quicker and easier than expected. But in their defense, she did have the element of surprise.

When her mask picked up more signatures heading her way, she searched for another hiding place. Shutting the door as Bakuub taught her (electronic doors with codes were annoying), Aya looked around, finding a seat that she could use to reach the vent. Could she try to Kevin McCallister the place? Yes, but she needed to be quick with whatever she did. She was already risking a lot by remaining where she was. It was arguable that she could risk a lot more by leaving though. Stealing some weapons from the corpses, and taking the Bad Bloods' tusks, she clambered up. It was surprising, and worrying, that she could fit up there at all. It was too small for a yautja, but big enough for a pregnant human. Well, to an extent. It was also incredibly hot, which made sense considering how the yautja seemed to enjoy heat and humidity. As a benefit for her, it could hide her own heat signature, while the mask allowed her to continue breathing despite being exposed to whatever was in this air. Using a combistick she had taken, she lengthened the tool so that she could push the chair away from where she was.

In the hallway voices and clicking were getting louder, growing closer. More than that, her mask showed her where everyone was, including the other shipmates. To her surprise, Bhu'ja broke off from the group racing towards her room. Peek through the grate in the vent, she watched for the intruding Bad Bloods, almost snickering when they found the bodies.

"Pauk!" Pauk? Was that a curse word?She knew her curse words when she heard them, and language barrier or not, that sounded like a curse word. "What did this?!"

More like _who_ instead of _what_ , but okay? Before the other one could respond, there was a large gush of blood as the asshole's head was lobbed off, Bhu'ja standing behind the now dead Bad Blood. He roared at the other one, and moved so quickly that Aya almost didn't see it when he attacked the last one. Blades clashed, creating sparks. One of those sparks got close to the bed, worrying her. Hopefully the sheets weren't flammable. Her heart pounded in anxiety as she watched the males roar at each other in rage, each one covered heavily in blood and wounds. The blade finally went through the Bad Blood, but instead of just removing it, Bhu'ja sliced through the side, having separated the spine. Panting, Bhu'ja searched around, searched for her. That, or more enemies.

He touched the side of his mask, and she could faintly hear Bakuub tell him that the Bad Bloods were all dead. Bhu'ja touched something else on the side of his mask, and she almost yelped at hearing his voice in her ear. "Aya, it is safe. Come out...Please."

That last bit he added. She could've sworn he sounded worried for a moment. It was most likely because he didn't want his code to be broken more than it already was. Glancing to the Bad Bloods on the floor, she thought of how if things could've ended differently not just for her, but him. He could have been one of them. Hesitant, she tapped the metal of the vent with her knuckles. His head shot upward to see where she was.

"...Clever."

"Predictable, if you've ever watched a movie back on Earth," she grumbled, agitated. Shoot, how much did these guys know of Earth culture? Evidently they had knowledge of ancient humans, but modern stuff? "Er, a movie is-"

"I know what a movie is." She wondered _how_ he knew that. These extraterrestrials were full of surprises. Walking underneath, he held out his arms. "Do you need help?"

These guys were eight feet tall, at least. That meant having a lot of head clearance. If she tried to get down by herself, she'd injure herself. Looking at his arms, she knew that the best option was to take his offer. "...Yes. All of you are too tall."

She opened the cover. He trilled, "More like you are too tiny."

Tiny? She was quite average compared to most females. Maybe even a bit taller than most, barely. "I'll have you know, I am _fun sized_."

"Fun sized?"

Her legs dangled over the edge for a moment, and she found herself hesitating. Not only was the height great, but every instinct in that moment was telling her to get away from him. This was the same guy that killed who knew how many back at the health care facility. He was the same one that had tried to kill her earlier in the week. Code or not, should she really trust him? Laying her hand on her belly, she inhaled, and pushed off, squeaking a little when warm, leathery arms caught her, and carefully steadied her onto the ground.

"Are you harmed?" She shook her head, taking in the carnage. "Are you wearing _tusks_?"

Oh shit-fuck. "I didn't exactly have weapons, so I made some?"

Damn, what the holy hell bells were they going to think? She was _wearing_ pieces of their species, and Bhu'ja _knew_ it. How the bloody fuck was he going to interpret this? Hold on, she was wearing _people_. She was wearing a person. She killed a person. What was wrong with her?!

"...That is resourceful," he said, simply. He also looked at the weapons she had collected, then at the dead Bad Bloods. "We will put you in another room." His voice sounded raspy, angry now. Why? Sure, she saw him chop one of the others' heads off, but there were only three yautja that were originally on the ship, and one very desperate and cranky human. Had he expected the three of them to take on all the bad guys? Suddenly, her knees gave on her. His hands held her, "Aya?"

Her eyes were starting to close against her will. Damn it, she'd been stressed way too much as of late. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she said, "Just tired."

He nodded, and she was prepared to complain when he started to carry her bridal style. However, he started doing that stupid, evil purring thing. And his body, gross since he was covered in blood, was warm. Her eyes fluttered, and her body gave out, practically falling against him.

* * *

It was astounding to fathom such a vicious creature could fall asleep in his arms.

He grimaced. He had gotten there too late. Yes, she survived, and even conquered her enemies, but the fact she had to showed how poor of a protector he was. He had sworn to keep her and her child safe, and _failed_.

"Mei'hswei, is she-?"

Bhu'ja held a finger over where his mouth was on the mask. It was a gesture many of their kind had learned from oomans. They usually had it to mock their prey or instill fear more than they already had, but in this case it was meant for something near the opposite. Bakuub stared at the slumbering ooman. She had creases on her forehead, brows furrowing in her sleep. Bakuub looked around, seeing the mess both Bhu'ja and Aya had left. "You weren't the only one who did this, are you?"

He hated having to tell the truth in that moment. His hands tightened ever so slightly around her, angry at himself. "Mo, the impaled one and... _Blinded_ one, are her handiwork."

Bakuub paused before walking to stand over the corpse of the one she had slit the throat of. "So, she really could have, and would have, killed me." Bhu'ja didn't know how to interpret his brother's reaction, seeing Bakuub mentally analyze what could have happened to him. "Good. This shows she _is_ capable of defending herself, and destroying her enemies."

"We're not her enemies," Bhu'ja said.

Bhu'ja's mei'hswei looked at him. "Aren't we?" Unsure how to answer that, Bhu'ja held Aya a bit closer. "I will tend to any injuries she has, and clean up the blood. When I returned, we will dispose of the bodies together." Reluctantly, Bhu'ja handed his charge to his brother. As they exchanged, both tensed when they felt a fluttering from her lower abdomen. Both males began purring automatically, soothing the unborn. "This one is strong."

Yes, just like their mother.

* * *

Aya woke up, buried in warmth. Snuggling into the covers, she remembered she was on an alien ship, and she had just killed people. Groaning, she slammed her face into the pillow-like object her head had been on. It had barely been a week, and she had gone from killing creatures, to actual _people._ Just how far had she fallen in the morality department? Stars, how the ever-living fuck was she going to teach her kid right from wrong? Would she even survive that long?

Sitting up, she glanced out the window, trying to imagine a place where there were extraterrestrials everywhere, and ones that wanted to kill her. It wasn't that hard to imagine, actually. She could've died at any time in the past few days, and the stress was almost literally killing her. If she couldn't handle this, how was her baby supposed to?

When the door to the room opened, she instantly got to her feet, in fight or flight mode. Bhu'ja held up his hands in the attempt to placate her. Slowly she sat back down, letting out her breath. He tilted his head. "What are you?"

"Pregnant," she deadpanned, chuckling bitterly. Should she tell him that his brother asked the same thing? It was becoming easier to understand that they were siblings. Maybe families really could exist wherever she was going. Smelling herself, she wrinkled her nose. Ugh, she was covered in blood, and that couldn't be good for her or the baby. Wait, when was the last time she cleaned herself. Narrowing her eyes, she said, "I'm taking a bath, _now_."

Thank fucking hell that Bakuub showed her where the bathroom was earlier. Bhu'ja nodded, and stilled. "I shall prepare you clothing."

... _Shit_. "Do you guys have bras, or can make any?"

"Our females have no need for them."

Fucking shit, those lucky bitches. If she met a female that might consider _not_ tearing her head off, Aya had questions that needed answering. "Well, I need one, especially while I'm pregnant. Not only is it uncomfortable to go without one, but _these-"_ Shame was out the window at this point. These guys practically ran around nude. Gesturing to her breasts wasn't that big of a deal in comparison. "Get heavy and hurt, a lot, while I'm pregnant. I need some fucking support for them."

Was stress getting to her? Guess what? Being kidnapped, nearly killed over half a dozen times, and forced to live in dangerous and unknown environments tended to do that. Sighing in exasperation, she said, "I can save and wash the bra while I clean myself."

He had taken off his mask, and the expression he had was perplexing. It was as if he didn't know whether to get angry or not at her words. Whelp, she didn't fucking care. She had enough problems as it was. "Give this 'bra' to me."

Aya glared. "You're _not_ going to destroy it."

"No, I won't."

He probably wasn't expecting for her to take it off then and there. She was too tired and frustrated to care at that point though. Unhooking it the back, she tugged the fabric from out under her shirt and tossed it at him. He caught it, expression dumbfounded. She waited for it to be returned, leaning against the wall. He inspected it, and she tried not to feel uneasy. These kinds of things were typically considered more private, but she doubted privacy meant much to these guys.

"I will keep this while you bathe," he declared.

"And what will you do with it?" she said.

He stood up, walking towards her. Damn the fucker was tall. He towered over her, his shadow nearly swallowing her whole. Showing any fear though wasn't in her best interest. "I will study it to make replicas, clean it, and return it."

Bhu'ja was testing her somehow. She knew he was. "You'd better, or else you'll need to be more vigilant when it comes to sleeping more than usual."

It was a gamble, but one she was willing to take a chance on. Walking away, she entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Breathing in and out, Aya tried not to scream. She was angry, frustrated, scared. Aya clenched her fists, stretching. Recalling what Bakuub showed her, she turned on the water of what had to be a pool. Steam and the scent of something near floral yet musky drifted off the hot water. Hesitant, she wished she had something to indicate this wasn't like a hot tub. If this was like one, then she should only spend ten minutes or less in it. Overheating wasn't a good idea.

Sighing, she went over to the nearest wall, pressing a button. Bakuub answered. "What is it?"

"Pregnant humans shouldn't get overheated, especially while bathing. I have no idea how to test the temperature or how to change it if I need to."

He relayed instructions in an almost clinical manner, and she winced upon finding out that, yeah, it was like a hot tub. Thankfully, she was able to lower the temperature. Stripping, she set her clothing aside, and slowly stepped in. It felt like something was eating at the grime on her skin, making the flesh underneath softer. There was no burning though, and the warmth was starting to make her sleepy after a short period of time. She needed to stay awake though.

So, she inspected where her injuries had been, finding scars that weren't typically pleasing to the eye. She'd never been ashamed of her scars, save for some stretchmarks, but showing off any part of her body wasn't exactly comfortable either. Scrubbing her hair, she tensed when she felt a bump, marked with a scar she knew hadn't been there before. Tentatively tapping it, she heard an electronic buzzing.

...No way. Was that the translator?! Why was it in her fucking head?! Murder, she was contemplating at least twelve different ways of murdering someone. 

After a few minutes, and making sure she was clean, Aya drained the pool and toweled herself off. Outside was Bhu'ja with her bra, no sweat stains or other marks in the slightest. It was dangling off his claw. She took it, and arched a brow when he held out what look like a loin cloth. "...One of yours?"

He made a huffing noise, a mix between a cough and a laugh. "Mo."

The translator corrected 'Mo' to 'No'. "Turn around," she ordered.

Grumbling, he folded his arms and turned around, obliging her. Just how far could she push boundaries? Was there a limit? What was she allowed to do? "There is no reason to feel shame. I have seen enough human bodies while hunting your kind before."

Right, because humans were good for hunting, and decapitating, and skinning. Of course he had to have seen naked humans. Still, nudity meant being vulnerable, and that wasn't something Aya was okay with. "And part of my health includes having less stress, which is arguably futile, but I'll take what I can. And I'm not embarrassed of my body if that's what you think. I'm here with an unknown male whose intentions I'm unsure of. Especially since one apparently attached something to my skull without my knowledge."

There was a small flinch. "We had to treat your wounds, and it was best to ensure no harm would come to you due to miscommunication."

Considering she tried to kill them, and evidently was capable of doing so, that made sense. However, that didn't make what they did okay, not to her. Dressing herself, she stated, "You could have told me after the fact, at least."

"I've seen your handiwork. I had no desire to test your patience while you were enraged."

"I'm always angry. That doesn't justify keeping secrets. It's dishonorable, at least in my eyes."

Waking up, alone? Sore and confused? And then finding out something happened to you? Yeah, she loathed that kind of thing. She'd experienced it one too many times before, and never wanted to experience it again. The clacking of his claws echoed in the room as he clenched his fists. She wasn't going to lie to them. It would be disadvantageous. She finished, figuring it best to get everything over with as she informed him she was dressed. He observed how the garb fit her, but said nothing else.

"What happened to the Bad Bloods?"

Besides her maiming and killing two of them, that is. He cautiously sat across from her. "We were victorious. They are being made into trophies as we speak." Ew. Why wasn't she surprised? "As two were your prey, you may claim some as well. We still have the tusks you made into weapons."

It sounded like he doubted she would. Considering her previous behavior, she couldn't blame him. However, her understanding of what was required was evolving. Things changed, and she needed to as well. Was she actually considering this? How much of herself was she willing to give up? No, not give up, _exchange_. She wouldn't give up anything. "Trophies are proof of one's accomplishments, correct? They earn credibility and respect for your people?"

"Yes."

If it meant protecting her baby, she was starting to think she was willing to do anything. The overabundance of saccharine from the mere though made her shiver. Ugh, soft and emotional was not something she typically liked."Not sure about you guys, but some humans used to, and sometimes still do, make weaponry from the remains of their prey. Can I make those tusks into daggers?"

"It is also a practice for us," he said. "Though we would need to properly mark that the bones and any remains from other yautja were Bad Bloods when you killed them."

Another idea, somewhat morbid, crossed her thoughts. Pursing her lips, she asked, "And, can I make the kainde amedha's shell into armor or clothing?"

"You wish to _wear_ one of your prey?"

He sounded intrigued, thrilled even. That was disturbing as hell.

"Yes," she answered without hesitation, firm in her stance. That platform where she tried to spar before wasn't her arena, it was a stage, one that she did poorly on. Her true arena was going to be the rest of her life. If she was going to fight, then she was going to be the best damned fighter there was."If you don't do it, then at least show me how. You're supposed to guarantee my baby's, and to an extent, my safety, right? Then showing how formidable I am would better ensure that."

He tensed, and from the rising of his chest Aya could tell he was getting angry.

Narrowing her eyes, she said, "I know now that you're a great warrior, and capable of battle, but fighting isn't always enough, and you _can't_ do everything for me. From what little I understand, it seems the most efficient way to ensure your honor stays intact, is to teach me how to survive, and how to keep my child alive." She looked him in the eye, or close enough as she said, "You _will_ teach me."

What she had spoken was a demand, not a challenge, not a question of any kind. She was _ordering_ him. It was a risk, but based on what Bakuub said earlier, Aya knew she had to toughen up somewhere, and that moment, with that person, was the safest place to do that. If females really were the dominant ones in their society, then she was going to take damned advantage of it. She would take advantage of everything she could to make a safer place for her child. And if that included this?

It was idiotic, absolutely insane, but Aya was going to try trusting this insect, cat-thingy guy...Smart, Aya was not.

Still, she just hoped that this time when she trusted someone, it wasn't going to end up with her waking up and in pain, alone and wondering what the hell happened to her. There was soft clicking, and a huff that sounded almost like a harsh laugh, yet a pleased one. "I am mentoring Kata'nu, the Young Blood, in the ways of our people. With you, I shall have two apprentices."

Why was there some sadistic glee in his tone?

...If he was going to make her life miserable, she was going to leave his in desolation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Aya gets to see the guys' trophies, armor will be made, and some questions will be answered.
> 
> Not sure how impressed she'll be.


	11. Questionable Decisions

The first time Bhu'ja tried to wake Aya up, in what manner she assumed he would some of his other students, she glared at him. As for him, he stared at her hair.

"What happened?"

"The kid kept me up," she deadpanned. "Have you never dealt with someone who's pregnant before?"

He shook his giant head, pointing to hers. "Your uh...Hair?" Oh no, it probably looked like a bird's nest...And she had no hair brush. That meant she was going to have to finger brush it. Groaning, she plopped her face into her pillow. "How are you not suffocating?"

"You will give me ten minutes to clean this up."

"I don't-"

She glared again. " _Ten. Minutes._ "

The guy was conflicted. He probably expected for him to give out the orders, but because she was female, and more importantly someone that had a lot of needs he didn't know, as far as he knew this could be something imperative to her health. "Ten minutes."

The guy walked out, only for Bakuub to walk in. He, too, stared. She was about to bark out something when he asked, very carefully, "Do you require assistance?"

Aya actually had to contemplate it. "Depends, is there some kind of special meaning to your hair?"

"Yes, but I know yours does not feel as ours do." At her confused expression, he sighed. "They are sensorial organs, and can be considered an erogenous zone during mating."

Processing. Processing. "How, how do you hunt then? Anything, anyone could grab it?" Awareness crossed her expression, and she found her cheeks growing hot. Bakuub openly laughed as she said. "Oh dear gods, I _groped_ your brother when we were sparring then? No wonder he was so...I never meant it that way!"

It was the first time any of them had seen her flustered. "Now you know, and should not let it happen again. Not unless you mean it."

What the hell did that mean? And should she tell him about some feelings humans could get when their hair was messed with? It was true that the hair wasn't alive, but since it was attached to her head and a lot of nerves how sensitive messing with it could be? It wasn't a sexual thing, unless someone wanted it to be, but the intimacy was still something more or less that meant for Aya to personally give a lot of trust to. She shook her head, threading her fingers through the messy mane to the best of her ability. She'd already wasted a couple of minutes, and she was on a deadline.

"No, but thank you for the offer. It's uh, kind of an intimate thing for humans too, meant for those who are close to you, like family, friends, or even a lover. Or at least it is to me." The yautja was surprised by that. So, she elaborated, "It's a comfort thing, and helps to relax most of the time. I wouldn't consider it an erogenous zone, but it still holds meaning." Glancing at his, er... "What are yours even called?"

"That is one of the few words we have not been able to translate."

His eyes were watching her fingers moving with fascination. She was almost done, and had a few minutes to spare. She should be glad her hair wasn't worse than it normally was for having a bed head. Thinking, she asked, "Would it be offensive if I braided my hair? Just to keep it contained?"

"Yautja have seen humans with such styles. Some aboard the mothership might assume things, but others will understand." Deciding to take a chance, Aya parted her hair into multiple sections before weaving them to better suit her needs. Bakuub nodded, "I shall get you something to eat."

"I'm supposed to meet your brother-" Her stomach growled then.

Bakuub narrowed his eyes, his tusks clicking together. "I shall speak to him."

Seriously, why was this guy so nice to her? Aya tried to kill him, multiple times. Was it part of some secret, devious plot? What was he up to? Deciding to make a french braid, her fingers moved swiftly, but efficiently from years of practice. Putting on her mask, she decided to walk a bit in the halls. Outside, Kata'nu was doing something akin to stetching, and stared at her hair too.

"Are, are you in pain?"

Right, their hair was apparently some kind of set of organs. "No, my hair is made of the same material as my nails. It's lifeless save for where it's attached to my head."

"Oh." There was a pause, his mandibles shifting, just as his stance did. "May I ask questions?"

"You just did," she chuckled. "Go ahead."

She owed the kid, at least a little. She did stab him. Besides, whatever he had to ask couldn't be that bad, right? Shit, she hoped she didn't just jinx herself. "How did you get the blood of the kainde amedha?"

Oh. That wasn't so bad. "Most, if not all, chemical reactions halt at subzero temperatures." Thank you chemistry class. "I froze parts of the bodies, and collected it very, very carefully."

"You _froze_ the acidic blood?"

She nodded. "Surely you guys came up with something like that. I mean, you've got weapons that actually cut into them, and slice them into teeny tiny pieces."

"Yes, from infusing parts of their DNA into our weapons through their natural armor. Collecting the blood though?" These guys were biologically and technologically far more advanced than humans. How did this not occur to them? "Fire is one of their few weaknesses, and they can survive on worlds with nothing but ice."

"Well, have you ever tried freezing _them_? Their shells can put up some protection, but even some of the hardest metals and minerals, at least on Earth, can shatter from that. It's simple physics and chemistry. I'm willing to bet your armor or weapons could get cold enough to break."

Sure, that could be harder than fire, but she had the supplies on hand to do it. Tapping her mask, "Plus, you guys have tools to see heat siignatures, apparently. Isn't their weakness your weakness too? 'Cause I tried to see through steam in the cleansing-" Why didn't they just call it the bathroom? "And I've got to think seeing your prey in the cold would be a lot easier."

"We hunt the most difficult prey we can find," Kata'nu defended.

"...And that somehow includes humans?"

He didn't even get bothered by that question. "Oomans-" Can they not pronounce the first part of 'human'? Wait, they didn't have lips, and 'hu-' required lip movement. They had mandibles. Holy shit. But why didn't the translator fix that? Did, did they actually think that's 'human' is supposed to be pronounced? " _Are_ worthy prey. They can live and thrive in almost any environment. Their determination allows them to face seemingly impossible odds, and they have defeated many of us in turn. While you are inferior, that does not mean your species has not earned some of our respect."

That was probably the nicest thing they had ever said, she thought? Maybe? Was that meant to be a nice thing to say? It was also really weird that they were having this casual of a conversation. Jeeze, Aya hoped she wasn't getting Stockholm Syndrome. It was one thing to survive among them, another to actually feel some semblance of affection. As loathing as it was to admit it, they were her captures, and she their prisoner. 

"Now I'm starting to understand why some of our kind take humans as mates." Wait, what? "Especially your females. The only other ooman I know of that defeated a the ultimate prey was a female. Of course, she had assistance from one of our own." She was still trying to fathom the concept of interspecies coupling. These guys were _huge_ , and the cultures were vastly different. He waved his hand in front of her face. "Um, ooman?"

"What did you do?"

Bakuub was back, with a small tray with tiny meats - did she want to know where those came from - and fruits. 

"Nothing. We talked about strategies hunting kainde amedha, her species as worthy prey, and...Oh. I mentioned ooman and yautja mating?" Aya let out a small noise of confusion and distress. "Did I break her? I didn't know we could break oomans this way. Maybe I should try it more often."

More confused noises erupted from her throat. Then she gestured to their heights, her head shaking. "I uh...Huh? What? How-? I, what?"

"Paya, this is going to take some explaining. Though I thought since you are already pregnant that you would know how-?"

Pie-a? Did he want pie? Did yautja even make pie? Or was that a curse word? No, she knew a curse word when she heard one and that wasn't a curse word...Was it? "I know how sex and procreation work. I just don't get the concept of yautja and humans mating. Wait, is there anything sexual? Is it just romance? How-?"

"Both," Bakuub chuckled, escorting her bath to her room. "I know of once a parent ooman died during a battle against a Blood Clan. She was adopted, her worth proven in the the fight. Others gained friendships during conflicts shared, and partnering may happen in similar ways."

This was _not_ how Aya imagined her day starting out. "But your species is all about reproduction and strengthening bloodlines. If you can't produce offspring-"

"We can." More confused noises. "We are an advanced species that has found ways to increase fertility between oomans and yautja. Many a time I have personally witnessed such offspring be more admirable and stronger warriors than some of my own, though few will ever admit it."

Trying to understand, she said, "But, that's like a chihuahua mating with a great dane." He was confused now. "Okay, they're both canines. Chihuahuas are this tiny, and a great dane is this big." The gestures helped as she indicated the size difference. "If a female chihuahua mates with a great dane somehow -" How would that even work? Did she want to know? " - The size of the baby would be huge enough to kill the mother."

"We have ways of accommodating that as well through surgical means should the female be physically strained to birth the child." Recalling the paste and how well her body was mended, even with the scars, Aya could not bring herself to doubt that. "Considering your feats and the evidence that you're fertile, there is a strong possibility that you may be propositioned."

Aya made a choking noise, and held her head in her hands. "I, I don't want to think about that right now."

"We're that displeasing in appearance to you?"

She was NOT going to confirm or deny that line of questioning. Hell, she hadn't even thought about that kind of thing? Why would she? Isn't it like bestiality? At least for them? "Please don't say you're propositioning me."

He chuckled, "I'm not. It would not be good for your health."

In what manner was he talking about exactly? The fact that she was pregnant, or that he was huge enough to crush her into a gooey mess. No, not _that_ kind of gooey mess, the kind where she would literally be mush. Deciding to try and drop the conversation, she just ate her fill of the meal. Bhu'ja joined them soon enough, giving his brother a look that Aya couldn't decipher before facing her. "Are you better now?"

"Much," she said warily. "By the way, sorry for grabbing your uh, hair? I didn't know they were that _sensitive_."

She'd still keep that little fact in mind. It could be useful in the future. Bhu'ja inclined his head in acknowledgement. "I was going to start by physically training you, but that may not be a wise decision. I know not how long ooman pregnancies last."

"Most people say nine months, but it's more accurate to say two hundred and eighty days or forty weeks. Um, do you guys know how long that is for humans?"

Bakkub was typing something into a device on his wrist. "How far along are you?"

"I'm in my eighth week. The kid was a bit late when it came to a heartbeat being detected." She hoped that the baby's growth wasn't stunted.

"And you know the exact date?"

She hesitated. "I've only had one... _Partner_ , before. And it was only once that there was any form of sexual interaction." There were some things she didn't want to talk about. "So, yeah, I know when it happened." Her voice felt as distant as her emotions did. She felt numb trying to talk about what happened, even if it wasn't in clear detail. Seeming to remember her warning to Kata'nu, they asked no further on the incident. She breathed in and out, not allowing any pain to show. "Some females can perform a lot of physical activity even in the third [trimester](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULAKJUyZmdU) of their pregnancy, and some don't even [physically](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYnUmv0BWTc) show any signs of being pregnant until they actually give birth. It depends on your body type and genetics. I have some symptoms though, so I expect that sooner or later I'll look like I've bloated or just downright miserable. The fact is that everyone's different."

Bhu'ja inhaled sharply. "All right, what should we expect?"

How the fuck should she know? She'd never been pregnant before. Right, doctors, she'd spoken to doctors. Doctors are trustworthy, right? "Okay, there will be massive hormonal changes, some may affect my mood. The other day I had a nosebleed from increased blood flow. As I gain weight my feet and some parts of my body will become sore. My body will also heat up, I may have problems with bladder control due to the added weight above it-" She gestured to where that is. "My immunity to diseases will be lowered, and getting sick is a really bad idea. I'm already experiencing craving certain foods and sometimes things taste metallic. Oh, and I could get chest burns from eating specific kinds of food, and possibly eating too much at once. So snacking throughout the day is recommended. Those are just a few though."

If they were confused by her hair, then they were bewildered by the number of things she had said. Well, that was kind of the same for Earth males too. Yet, they didn't seem embarrassed or even too disturbed save for Kata'nu. That most certainly was not like male humans. Bhu'ja made a sound that was kind of like clearing his throat. "You also said your breasts grow?"

"Bhu'ja, that's the same for our females."

"Yes, but she's another species, and I need to know to keep her and the suckling safe."

Should she tell him about some other symptoms? Was this too much at once? How much did she want to make them squirm? Thinking about it, she realized that ,yes, she wanted them to squirm a whole lot. How to do that when they were so calm though? At least she could make Kata'nu uncomfortable. It wasn't exactly fair to the kid, but it was fun spooking him a bit.

"Oh, I said that was only a few. Get ready to hear the rest."

Aya nearly cackled at their expressions.

Psychological torture was so much fun.

She couldn't help but wonder why Bhu'ja wasn't as overwhelmed as much as the other two.

* * *

Aya arched a brow at the young blood across from her. He kept giving pleading looks to Bhu'ja, who blatantly ignored him.

"Where, where do I even grab her? She's a child maker, and one that's-"

He made an 'oof' noise when Aya kicked his middle, having moved quickly. Then, she hit his face, her foot ending up on his chest while she leaned over, giving an unimpressed look. Bakuub burst out into laughter while Bhu'ja turned off the translator momentarily, saying something to his pupil that Aya figured was meant to be private. Slowly, cautiously, she lifted her foot off the young blood, and tensely offered her hand. He was confused by the gesture.

"I'm trying to help you up, pauk head." Yes, she finally learned what 'pauk' meant. Some words were easier to learn than others, mostly because they were said more often than others. While Bhu'ja was trying to teach her how to survive, that didn't mean he was going to give away all his people's secrets. She couldn't exactly blame him. She had some secrets of her own after all. "Are you refusing me?"

She was also quickly picking up that while there were limits, playing the female, and the _pregnant_ female card worked miracles. It was weird, seeing as males were typically more dominant back on Earth despite more recent feminist movements. Having this kind of power over someone so much stronger than her, it was both strange, and kind of exciting. Aya was determined not to misuse such authority though.

Reluctantly, Kata'nu took her arm, and she helped him steady onto his feet. Standing a few feet from him, she got into a sparring position again, thinking carefully. "My limbs are typically what you should go for. Take them out, and you take out my best weaponry. And for future reference, human females are known to have stronger hips and legs than males. Theories have suggest it's to better birth offspring. Males have better upper strength."

He nodded, and this time when she struck out, he caught her leg. His grip was firm, but not enough to harm her. Smirking, she propelled herself up into the air with the other at an angle, swinging around him and wrestling him so that her arms were wrapped around in a choke hold. He was startled enough that her leg got loose, and she used her legs to crush a portion of where the diaphragm for humans would be.

Aya hadn't let herself fight as much in recent years as she had as a teenager. There was something liberating about it. 

Kata'nu made a choking noise, and she couldn't tell if it was from how she was trying to squeeze air from him, or from how she was holding on. He moved backwards, attempting to slam her back against a wall. She slipped away, watching the collision. As he fell, she slammed her hand into his throat, and kicked his chest. He panted, looking up at her in astonishment.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Are you sure you aren't a warrior?" he wheezed.

Truth was, she wasn't a well-behaved kid growing up. She got into a lot of fights until her parents gave her an outlet. She learned a lot from the Girl Scouts, and that self-defense course in college helped a lot...For a while. "I'm sure. Besides, this isn't exactly a fair fight. I'm pretty sure you could tear my head off it you really wanted to."

"True," Kata'nu agreed. "I would rip off your head as well as tear out your spine."

Aya recalled the corpses in the medical facility. some faces had been more familiar than others. That was helping her remember not to give into Stockholm Syndrome. She may not have been close to the people there, but they were still people she held some care for. More so, most had been good people. Why had the kainde amedha been there in the first place? Why were _they_ there? She wanted to ask, but it didn't seem to be a good time for that. "I know." Wincing, she asked, "Would it be okay to take a break? The baby's getting restless again."

Likely because the increase in heart rate and blood flow. She was getting sore in places she didn't know she had. All three males agreed. Kata'nu tilted his head. "I've seen images of human sucklings before, but that rarely compares to true life. What are they like?"

Taking a sip of water that Bhu'ja gave her, Aya had to think. "They're ugly as hell." They were dumbfounded. Aya snorted. "Seriously, every baby I've seen is hideous. They also cry, scream bloody murder, and sleep almost all day. They can't walk until they're almost a year old, and don't start talking until a year after that. And they'll blabber nonsense that doesn't make sense. Plus, they smell funny...Or maybe they just smell funny to me since they're not my kids. I've heard that mothers love their own babies' scent."

"Why are you having a baby if you don't like them?"

Now _that_ was a loaded question, and she didn't want to give the fully answer yet. She knew that the yautja were holding out on some things too, and she was willing to respect that. They just needed to respect her secrets in turn."It might sound confusing, but when I found out I was pregnant, the first thing I felt was fear, then anger for being afraid in the first place. I thought of all the mistakes in my life, the bad choices, and finally bothered to ask myself what it was I really wanted. And, I guess initially I felt like I wanted to take a chance on the kid, like few ever have on me. I wanted to do something better, I wanted to _be_ better." And now she screwed up that kid's life by getting abducted and forcing them to life in a hellhole. Some parent she was. "Now, I think I just want to be a mother, to hold them. I want to see them grow...I just hope I get that chance."

Guilt flooded her. Aya cursed all of the time, got into trouble, and barely had any idea of what she was doing. Would she even be a good mother? 

"You will," Bhu'ja said. "We'll help you."

She tried not to react. Had she said anything out loud? What kind of reasurance was he intending to give? If he intended to give her anything like that at all. Nah, it was likely a trap. Bhu'ja told them he needed to fetch something, leaving her with the young blood and Bakuub. She turned to Bakuub. "Will we go hunting soon?"

That caught him off guard. "Yes, we need to replenish our supplies. Why?"

"I want to go, both to hunt and to observe. I need to build some sort of status if I'm going to live with your people."

"...You killed a queen kainde amedha, a Hard Meat." The translator had beeped, likely adjusting to vocabulary to make it easier to understand. Hard Meats? Really? What did that make 'oomans', soft meat? She regretted that train of thought immediately. "I think that has earned you some status."

"One fluke doesn't prove anything," she stated coolly. "And don't mention the Bad Bloods-" Had those guys been like pirates or something similar? "That was me practicing self defense, not actively hunting. I don't think it counts."

Bakuub didn't disagree as much as Kata'nu did, understanding her viewpoint. "It's dangerous, and as a pregnant female there is much risk."

Time to bring back the bossy bitch. "So, you're saying you know more about a female's body and her abilities than she would?"

He probably did, but that was besides the point. "She's going to fit right in."

Aya highly doubted that. 

* * *

Bhu'ja had kept to his word. He actually made her bras. There were three in total, all made of some kind of stretchy fabric infused with some kind of leather-like material. It was sturdy, and hardy on the outside, but comfy on the inside. It was form-fitting too, with no hooks.

"How the bloody fuck-?"

"They are displeasing?"

She blinked at him, trying not to gape in amazement. "This is, wow. How did you-? Not even our own kind can make bras that are this nice."

"...Are you impressed by _this_?"

For some reason, she had to keep herself from crying. Great, hormones were amplifying her emotions. Being pregnant _sucked_. Reluctantly, she uttered, "Bhu'ja, you have no idea the struggles of finding a bra that both fits, and doesn't hurt. Underwires poke and pierce your skin, the hooks that hold them together leave bruising or even small cuts, the straps dig into your skin...We need them, but for some they're literal torture devices from the underworld. So, yeah, I'm impressed because you just made something that could literally save a life."

The yautja was horrified. "I think I'm starting to understand why some of my people take on human females as mates. You're stronger and more durable than I expected...I wonder what else would impress you."

She rolled her eyes. Was everything about sex or impressing females? Wait, in retrospect that may not be so different for those on Earth after all. "Fine, I'll be impressed if you hunted a dinosaur or-"

"Dinosaur?"

"Giant, extinct reptiles that could swallow me whole. They used to rule the Earth over sixty million years ago. They were larger than a lot of the buildings on Earth, and the carnivores were the most dangerous." When he went quiet, she added, "Or I'd be impressed if you made functional clothing. That's still a rarity for women."

He narrowed his eyes, "You are impressed by the strangest things."

Curious, she asked, "Fine, show me what you've hunted. There can't be that much."

...

She was wrong, so very wrong.

"These are small things I've hunted on our journey. I have more back on the mothership."

More? Seriously? "...You've got an acromantula here."

"A what?"

It was a giant, prehistoric spider, and near it was a giant centipede. There was also some sort of giant bird, pterodactyl thing. Another looked like a cross between one of the 'Hard Meats' and a woolly mammoth. "A mythical being that hunts and poisons its prey before sucking out its blood and then devouring it. But holy shit, this is, this is epic. And this is just 'small things'?!" His chest puffed up and Aya knew she made a mistake. He stopped once he saw her expression. "How the hell am I going to compete with you? Are all yautja like you? How am I going to prove myself worthy when...This is normal?"

One Hard Meat, and a couple of Bad Bloods? That was nothing compared this, and this was a small portion of what he had. "You've already proven yourself. For such a short lifespan, and the fact you've hunted once before, this is more than impressive."

"But is it enough?" From his stance, she knew it wasn't. "You're going to teach me how to hunt."

There was no question, no request. It was a command. "Aren't you supposed to rest? Recover?"

"I'll rest when I know my kid's gonna survive whatever hellhole we're going to," she said, determined. "Did you ever make those tusks into weapons like you said you would? Or the armor?"

He arched what she assumed was a close approximation to an eyebrow, walking over to a compartment and handing her the tools she needed. She didn't even get bothered when it came to dressing up in it. The fishnet stockings weren't something she thought she'd ever get used to, but the sensations weren't that different from tights or leggings. She also noticed that Bhu'ja had turned around, his arms folded. Good, he remembered. Making sure the armor was properly fitted - who knew she'd look so good in black - she said, "You can look. And tell me if I'm not wearing this right. Armor isn't exactly something I'm used to." Bhu'ja was gaping at her, his mandibles caving in on themselves. "What's, it's that bad?"

"Mo," he answered quietly, looking like he was going to have a panic attack. She put her hands on her hips, waiting for him to explain. "...Let's go."

Was it just her, or was he walking a little strangely?

Afterwards, she demanded to see the other two's trophy collections.

They did so rather enthusiastically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Aya goes hunting, and there's an Elder that wants to talk to her.


	12. The pregnant lady gets a break? Maybe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short, but I hope what's in the content makes it nicer to read. Finding balance is a bit tricky at the moment.

They were on an ice planet. They were on a freezing planet, with high winds, and made the planet from Star Wars look like a tropical paradise. Seeing the males in armor akin to hers, she had to ask, "How do you plan for us to stay warm while wearing fishnet suits?"

Seriously, stripper garb was not typically the way to go. Did they even know what fishnet suits were? But, they were also wearing some extra armor, sturdier stuff that seemed to be built against the cold...They were still strippers. They would always be funky ass strippers to her.

Bakuub clicked merrily, enjoying her reaction as he pointed to said fishnet clothing. "They're well insulated."

Aya was still trying to understand her outfit. All of her armor was black, her midriff having been exposed until Bhu'ja insisted on her adding one of their (gigantic) chest pieces there and adjusting it to fit her better. Her weapons were in a belt, reminiscent of Batman's utility belt, and likely full of just as many awesome gadgets...Or not, considering how antsy the guys were around her. She had footwear that were reminiscent of cleats, likely meant to help her grip onto the icy ground. For fun, Kata'nu showed her how to retract spikes, saying it was funny to see most humans slip on ice. Aya wondered just how much she should tell him about herself, including how she used to live in Minnesota, which was full of hockey players. Man, she missed going out and being able to beat people up on the ice.

Wait, _Strippers on Ice_. Heh. She knew quite a few people who would've gone to buy tickets for that kind of thing.

The asshole opened the door to the ship, blasting all of them with frigid air that made her few exposed hairs, and then some, stand on end. Bhu'ja tilted his head towards her. "Stay close, and remember, you are to hunt from a distance."

She wanted to retort that she wasn't a complete idiot. Yeah, she had to prove herself, but she wasn't going to endanger her baby more than she already had. Plus, these guys were supposedly experts, where she was the shithead who did stupid stuff...Dear gods she hoped that baby brain wasn't affecting her ability to think. Being stupid would not be a good thing right now. Settling her hands on her previously makeshift daggers, she realized that she was comfortably warm where she wasn't being blasted by ice. How does a stripper's outfit do that? Yautja technology was something Aya didn't think she'd ever get used to.

The mask she wore lit up all sorts of symbols that she couldn't read yet. Her illiteracy to their language made her feel somewhat deficient. This time, their voices sounded like they were by her ear. "Are you well?"

"...It's a lot to take in," she answered simply, trying to maintain her composure as much as possible. Emoting was not a good thing to do right now, or possibly ever around these guys. "I'll adjust. So, any specific prey we're going after?"

There was a roar in the distance that miraculously echoed in the air. Whatever it was, it sounded big.

"That."

Well, what else had she been expecting? That they were going to hunt a [desert rain frog](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBxn56l9WcU)? Or a polar bear? No, it had to be something big for these guys. Big, and way more dangerous than most humans can fathom dealing with. Then again humans weren't all that big in comparison. Oh gods, humans were the yautja's desert rain frogs. She was a desert rain frog. No wonder they tolerated her. Either she was cute to them, and/or she was a pet project that was loud but amusing... _Terrific_.

Still, there was something else to consider. This was going to be the first time she was actively hunting something, and hopefully not some _one_. The other times it was mostly self defense, and the few times otherwise were mercy killings by the request of victims. Even with the queen hard meat, the goal hadn't been to kill more subdue until there wasn't much of a choice left. Here, she was going to truly hunt. She wouldn't know if whatever it was deserved it or not.

Her hand touched her lower abdomen, and she was glad to see that her baby was still alive. Underneath the mask, she knew her expression was softening, and that she likely had those stupid ass puppy dog eyes. Thank gods she was wearing a mask. This was a culture of warriors and hunters. Showing weakness wasn't a good thing. She had to be strong, and stay strong. There was a reason, a very big reason, she was putting herself through this.

As they moved at a fast pace Aya realized she had known these guys were quiet, just not by this much. As for her? It wasn't as if she was in anything clunky or heavy, but her tiptoeing would never compare to their racing. She suddenly felt inadequate, and decided to try to mimic their movements. It was a hard thing to do, but sure enough, her footsteps began to grow quieter.

"How are you doing that?"

It was Bhu'ja's voice in her ear, and she glanced up to see him looking back at her. "...Copying you."

"You're not going as fast as you can, are you?"

She hadn't told them how involved in sports she'd been before all of this. Yeah, she could go faster, but what good would it do to go ahead of them? She was supposed to be learning, not just charging ahead like an idiot. The last few times she did that, she nearly lost everything. "I'm supposed to be learning from you."

"Holding back is showing weakness," Kata'nu piped up.

"Or it could show wisdom and forethought," Bakuub said sternly. Kata'nu silenced as he listened to his elder's words. "It's bad enough she's out of the ship, but _hunting_? I'm already questioning her judgement a great deal, even if I understand why she's doing this." Their masks caught sight of a creature taller than the yautja. It had four arms, large teeth, and looked really mean. Was, was that a four armed yeti? Holy shit, it was a four armed yeti. They were going to kill the frosty ass version of Big Foot?! "Not that one."

Bakuub's tone was different. It was older, more patient.

"Why not?" she couldn't help but ask.

It wasn't as if she wanted to kill it, hell she didn't want to kill anything or anyone, but that seemed to be prey the yautja would be all for hunting. Kata'nu shook his head. "That's an endangered species. We do not hunt those who species are dying out, in one form or another."

How noble of them. Then, she saw an even larger creature, dashing towards the endangered one. It had even bigger teeth, six eyes, and on its tail were fin-like protrusions. Shitty fuck fuck, it was an amphibian of some kind. It could travel on land or in the water below the ice...Did the programmers behind [Subnautica](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtP8r8nRfko) know about this place? That would explain a lot of their designs for aquatic creatures.

The storm was dying down, and the hunters went invisible. How the fuck-? She didn't jump when Bhu'ja moved next to her, showing her how to activate the cloaking technology. It would've been safer if he had shown her before, but now was not the time to berate him about that. Instead, she watched as her limbs blended in with the ground and air around them. It was a bit disorienting to not see herself. It wasn't that she was narcissistic, or at least she thought she wasn't, it was just weird to feel her limbs but not see them. She flexed her hands, seeing small distortions in the air where her hands were supposed to be. Looking back up, she could see that even though they were cloaked, the masks showed their heat signatures. Looking at the other creatures, they didn't look like they were alive. They just looked like multi-colored blobs, or really bad animation. Was that how these guys could kill so easily? The creatures didn't seem alive anymore? They were just, things? _People_ , could just be things?

Bhu'ja inhaled, about to say something when she asked, "What about that one?"

Bakuub inclined his head, and Aya mentally noted that red really didn't suit him. In fact, she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to see that color the same way again. She certainly couldn't do it for the color green. Green blood wasn't a pleasant sight. It was either acidic or flowed too easily. Why anyone thought changing the color of anything made something better was beyond her. " _That_ , is worthy prey."

Please don't say they were waiting for her to notice before taking action. She already felt dumb and useless in comparison. She was about to ask if they had a plan when Kata'nu let out what she assumed was supposed to be a might battle cry and dashed forward. The other two stayed with her. "Um, do we help him or-?"

"He's claimed it."

"By screaming like an infant?"

Bhu'ja's body language showed disbelief, and slight amusement. "If that's what your infants sound like, I have gravely miscalculated the potential harm your species can do to our sense of hearing."

It was honestly hard to tell if these guys knew what sarcasm was or not.If he had miscalculated, she was half-tempted to let him babysit her future screaming child just to torture the asshole. Too bad she had a heart, and a messed up conscious to go with it. Morals? That part was a bit iffy sometimes...Her kid was so screwed.

"He's young, and needs to learn. We learn best through the wounds and scars we have gained in our mistakes and errors."

Aya glanced over to the male yautjas' bodies. "That explains a lot." Both whipped around to face her, offended, and she ignored them. "Problem though, a sneak attack would've worked better if you're _not_ trying to hunt the near extinct species. Otherwise, you gain the attention of both potential prey. By doing this maneuver, his life is endangered more, and he might have to kill said endangered species." She tilted her head at Bhu'ja, "By the way, isn't that _your_ charge running in blindly?"

"C'jit."

"So, any rules of interfering if someone's a complete paukhead?"

Somehow, the air changed. And here she was trying to have some humor to diffuse tension. So much for that. "You do not take an honorable death in battle from someone. It is not only insulting, but one of the cruelest things you can do to one of our own." He paused, seeing as she understood the ramifications. "As I've said before, the person you save either has to kill you, or repay the debt."

He didn't need to continue that line of thought. Aya already knew that she had disgraced him. Hell, it was the primary reason she was here. "Surely, there has to be some way to help him?"

Bakuub sighed, "Yes. 'Do not join another's Hunt, or Hunt in their territory, without their permission. All trophies taken in this manner are stolen trophies, and shall be dealt with by the rightful own-'"

"I PERMIT YOU ALL TO HELP ME!"

Before Kata'nu even finished that sentence, Aya moved, allowing herself to run unlike she had been with the yautja. They'd probably never get it, but Aya had gotten a scholarship to a university based on her athleticism, namely in track and field. Running had always been something she was good at, both literally and metaphorically. That combined with the foot movements she mimicked off the yautja, she felt freer than she had in days. Being stuck in a metal container with little to no one to talk to did things to you.

Reaching the creature's legs, she slashed where an Achilles's tendon would be on humans, purposefully sliding back across the ice to avoid waving claws. Soon enough, it fell, and Aya thought it'd be over quickly. Instead, the creature pounded its heavy fists into the ice, cracking the surface. Worse yet, the endangered one was racing over. Turning off her cloaking device, she called out to the endangered one, "Hey big fella, look at me!"

For added measure, she blew a raspberry at it, something she knew the yautja couldn't. It roared, and she thought for a second. Back in the medical facility, Bhu'ja used a recording device to mimic her voice. As it roared again, she activated the same device, and used it to roar back, skating in the opposite direction. "Kata'nu, get your prey! I'm getting this one out of here!"

The noises from the larger predator ended soon enough, and Aya turned off the mimicry, sliding between the creature's legs and turning on her cloaking device. It looked around, obviously confused as to where its challenger went. Then, it wandered off. Aya did the same, almost bumping into Bhu'ja. His chest was rising and lowering rapidly, as if he were out of breath. She kind of was too, but he seemed more so for some reason, despite having a shorter distance to cross due to those huge ass legs of his.

"You, what are you?"

"Pregnant," she answered automatically, getting tired of that question. "And a paukhead. What happened to the others?"

He just stared at her for a few seconds, then let out a breath. "They are well. Although Kata'nu has lost some of his honor, at least in our eyes."

That was a little harsh. From how he sounded, Kata'nu was a teenager. Teenagers did stupid shit all of the time. She should know, she was a teenager once. Curious, she asked, "What does it mean to become to be blooded for your people?"

There was a series of soft clicking noises from him. "To hunt and kill a hard meat by your own hand. Kata'nu has not killed one _on his own_ as a true hunter would."

The undertones was meant to imply something. Her stupid head didn't process it until later that he was saying that by their laws and traditions, she was blooded.

* * *

The second hunt was the one where she finally killed something.

Though yautja could eat off meat, and disgustingly large amounts of _raw_ meat, both species needed alternative forms of nutrition. Aya may like barbecue and huge hunks of meat, but she knew she couldn't hold her regular diet anymore. The tricky part was figuring out what she _could_ eat out in space...Shit, was she going to give birth to the first _human,_ and not human-hybrid, space baby? It was going to be a historical moment, and no one would give a shit. Fuck.

They were on a jungle planet, one that the yautja apparently used often. Aya saw boxes and fire pits, and inwardly prayed to anybody who would listen that she wouldn't have to kill anything sapient anytime soon.

"Bad Bloods were here."

"This may be the camp the ones who attacked us originated from."

Kata'nu moved to Bhu'ja's side, learning better how to track while Bakuub seemed intent on shielding Aya from everything. He was twirling a spear around, prepared for anything. Maybe it was supposed to seem cool, but Aya couldn't help but think of how he looked like part of a giant fan. Picking up a stick, she tried twirling it like he did, but ended up smacking herself in the head. When the males huffed chuckles, she grumbled, "Shut up."

It wasn't as if she could mimic everything.

Refocusing their efforts, Bakuub and the others cloaked, and Aya followed suit. This time, she was just supposed to stay in the distance with one of the hunters, and hunt from afar. She'd gotten, understandably, in trouble back on the ice planet for interfering at all. It still rankled her that Bakuub was more pissed about it than the guy who was basically honor-bound to keep her safe.

"Bakuub, why are you so nice to me?"

The clicking of mandibles was still something Aya was trying to get used to, especially when they weren't saying anything. It just seemed to be a habit the few she encountered did. Was it their version of fidgeting? Twiddling their thumbs? Biting their lips? "I am not nice."

"You are compared to most people I've known," she admitted without thinking, images of her past flowing through her mind.

He was about to say something when Bhu'ja called over the intercom, or whatever the yautja equivalent was. "They're headed in your direction."

"This feels more like fishing than hunting," Aya grumbled in reply to the one bound to her, picking up the blaster they had been teaching her to use earlier. She wasn't going to get those canons they carried on their shoulders, so this was the safest firearm they felt comfortable letting her use.

"Fishing is still a sport of the Hunt," Bhu'ja tried to convince.

"You're literally leading prey to me," she deadpanned. "Doesn't seem like much of a hunt that way. So, I don't think this prey's going to help me very much in terms of finding rank in your society."

Aiming, she found the large head of some wildebeest-warthog hybrid monstrosity. Sweat dribbled down the side of her brow as she prepared herself physically and mentally for what she was about to do. Yeah, she killed before, but mercy kills or self defense was one thing. This? With a surprisingly steady finger, she pulled the trigger. The creature went down with a sharp squeal, sending others running pitifully into multiple directions. The firing shots of other weapons indicated that Bhu'ja and Kata'nu would be preparing their own trophies shortly. As for Aya, she swung down to the forest floor, taking out one of her custom daggers made from the tusks of her fallen foes.

The creature was whimpering, panting for air its lungs could no longer hold. She had shot it where she thought the lungs would be, and apparently she had been correct in assuming the location. The problem was that some lungs were stronger than others. Focused with her goal in mind, of a safer place for her and her baby, she slit its throat. The screams stopped, and she found herself finally able to breathe despite the fact that the creature no longer could.

For a moment, she was still over the corpse, processing what she had just done. Standing up, she tried to pick it up, maybe let the weight of it distract her from the weight on her shoulders, but she found herself hissing. With how much she'd been able to accomplish, it was becoming more irritating to learn the things she couldn't do. It was more likely because of how much of a pounding she'd been taking that her body was preventing her from doing more. That, or the soreness of her limbs were attributed to being pregnant. That was a thing, right?

The body was taken from her arms, and she glared at Bhu'ja for a moment until she remembered he couldn't see her expression. Damn it. "Why are you upset now?"

"...I thought giving permission for aid was shameful?"

He stared for a moment. "It's not shameful to request aid, it's shameful to endanger others due to foolishness and arrogance."

So Kata'nu had lost some honor in their eyes because of his stupidity and lack of forethought? What did that say about Aya? She was the idiot running around lost and clueless half of the time. "...Can you let me hunt, without you guys driving prey my way then? I'll stay where you think is safest in consideration to your knowledge and experience I don't have, but I came here to hunt, not _permit_ others to help me in hunting."

The implication was more than clear. Yep, Aya was pushing more buttons, and going past limits she shouldn't dare tread into. Too bad she still dared though.

It took an hour, and two more yautja for them to carry back two more of her prey, three in all. Each one that she had killed had been bigger, and arguably more dangerous than the previous. The second to last one she struggled a bit with since it went to attack her, but she dodged it enough to keep the yautja at bay. Still, no marks, no injuries, 

In the end, she was exhausted, but pushed herself forward, observing what the others did when it came to prepping their trophies, shaking a little when she started to make her own. Thank goodness for all those horror movies she grew up watching. Offal wasn't all that entertaining to deal with up close as it was in fictional cinema. THe stench alone had started to make her gag. She only stopped when she finished cleaning the meat off the creatures, permitting Kata'nu to take the portions to what she assumed was the kitchen area.

She ended up in the bathroom, realizing that her gag reflex was more out of the baby hating something she had earlier than what she'd been doing. There was a knock at the door. "Aya?"

"Sorry, the kid's a picky eater," she grunted, leaning her head against the cool wall. She managed not to flinch when a warm, calloused hand touched her forehead. A part of her wanted to lean into it, much to her bewilderment. Physical comfort, human bodies typically yearned for physical comfort. Don't panic. Stockholm Syndrome was not going to win here. "Ugh."

"...You did well today. Even Kata'nu struggles cleaning his prey."

Hearing the squelching noises in her head wasn't helping. Or the sensations still on her hands. Why was this hard when she literally tore apart those hard meats back on Earth? Was it the eyes? Those eldritch wannabes didn't have those. But the Bad Bloods did, and she stabbed a set of eyes from those guys. This was still survival, wasn't it? Didn't that count? Or was it because these beings technically didn't pose a threat to her? Sure, one attacked her, and the yautja confirmed that the creatures were worthy prey, but she was the invader to the animals' homes. 

Groaning, she tucked her forehead to knees she had tucked up to her chest. "Bhu'ja, if you don't stop pissing me off, I'll send projectile vomit in your direction." It tempting to stab him when he sat next to her. "Didn't you hear what I said?"

"How do I ease your suffering?"

It was so, so very tempting to tell him he could go jump off a cliff, or sit on a stake. "How the fuck should I know? I've never been pregnant before." Her voice was turning high pitched, and she breathed in and out to control her emotions. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she said, "Fuck, I hate my hormones. Look, I need something to eat, and so far I'm having some trouble with most of the meat you guys have brought. I don't want to waste anything, so I guess I'll just have some more fruit-"

He held up a small bowl of cut, cubed portions of meat. "Wagyu."

Did, did he just speak Japanese? "Huh?"

"This is similar to wagyu, a _bovine_ from your world. We picked this prey for you."

They noticed her struggling to keep stuff down? And, wagyu? As in one of the most expensive meats on Earth? Tentative, she picked up a cube, sniffing it. Finding nothing offensive so far, she popped a bit in her mouth, trying not to think of how she just killed whatever this thing was hours before. Swallowing, something began to settle pleasantly. Furrowing her eyebrows, she asked, "How-?"

"You are not fat enough."

"...Excuse me?"

He huffed something. "Too much 'sugars', and not enough 'iron' or vitamins meant to help brain. Also need nutrients in this to heal more easily." So, Vitamin B12, protein, and iron? He held up the bowl once more as if it were an offering. She took it, relaxing under the warmth there. "You need more sun. You got that while hunting."

Yeah, it made sense. There was a bunch of sunlight when she was hunting. So Vitamin D was covered there. And she needed iodine, which they probably got from that giant fishy thingy. Wow, Aya was a big dumb dumb. These guys really had been listening.

"Now you've proven that you can hunt for yourself and others. You've proven you can contribute to the yautja." Right, because she had not only gotten food, but worked alongside the yautja here. She was trying to mold to their ways, and she hoped she wasn't failing too spectacularly. Aya doubted it was enough, that anything she did would ever be enough. But maybe this was a start? At least if she was banished or stranded somewhere she had a fighting chance. "I meant it when I said you did well." 

If anybody asked why she was tearing up, she was going to blame it on her hormones.

* * *

Bhu'ja was starting to get used to carrying the ooman to her bed. She had already looked exhausted when they got back to the ship, but her persistence on completing the task kept her awake. He had been wary she'd accuse him of drugging her with sleeping medications, but it was as Bakuub said, with food, and warm food, sleep would come more easily for her tired body.

The problem was, she wasn't letting go of him in her unconscious form. It was worse when he started purring, since she started clinging onto him more tightly. Under her breath she kept muttering about 'warm' and needing 'snuggies'. What a snuggie was, Bhu'ja did not know and he was unsure if he wanted to know. How could someone who eviscerated hard meats and mutilated yautja act like, like _this_? Bakuub was of no assistance. All that pauk head did was take a video capture, laugh, and leave Bhu'ja to his miserable fate.

Bhu'ja could only pray that once Aya was more relaxed that she would let him go.

"Mmph...Teddy bear."

What?

"Boo bear."

And this was the same female that roared at him, bossed him around, and went around wearing armor made from the remains of her enemies? He was mentally going to complain more when the image of Aya in her armor and bound hair invaded his personal space. He quickly crossed his legs, thinking of far less pleasant sights. He would not show lack of control around a female, especially this one. He was trying to get her to be more compliant without trying to kill him or get angry at him. Last thing anyone needed was for him to start thinking this feral ooman was attractive, with her roars and hissing and warrior's spirit and...

This was going to be a long night, wasn't it?

* * *

Aya woke up more well rested than she had been in weeks, including before meeting the yautja. Bakuub and Kata'nu seemed okay too. For some reason Bhu'ja though, he looked exhausted.

She asked what was wrong, and he said something that couldn't be translated before clarifying, "Politics." Politics? That was a thing for these guys?"One of the clan elders wishes to speak to you. He has not said what it was for."

So, she was going to talk to an absolute stranger with no knowledge of what a potentially dangerous topic was about, and who could decide the fate of her and everyone on the ship? Including her baby? "Any advice you're willing to give?"

"Yeah, don't piss him off."

Aya noted that she should thank Bakuub for smacking Kata'nu upside the head later. "Yes, very insightful." Sighing, she said, "Where and when do I meet him?"

They gave an answer. Minutes, she had minutes to mentally prepare to meet the guy. And she was to meet him, alone, in her room. It was going to be over video, thankfully, but this would be the first time she would speak to an authority figure. One could say the three she was trapped with were of rank (although how rank worked was still a bit unclear), but she was finally figuring out how to make things work with them. This was a warrior people who hunted humans, and she was a human. Yeah, she was female, yeah,she was pregnant, but did that really change their perception of her overall? The pregnancy thing was temporary. And female? Humans being female didn't stop them from being prey for either species.

In their eyes, she was probably the same as the creatures she had killed the day before. Oh shit, did yautja eat humans? Why the fuck didn't she think of that possibility before? Wait, did she think of it before? Shit, stupid baby brain!

Entering her room, she pondered how to greet this person. First impressions meant everything, and any detail that she messed up could ruin not just her life, but others' as well. It'd be safest to have him speak first, and figure out her best response. Should she wear the mask she'd been gifted? Turning it over in her hand, she contemplated how such a thing could be interpreted. On one hand, it could be like Black Face, pretending to be something she wasn't and being as insulting as possible at the same time. It could literally be a racist move, and that's one of the worst ways to go about something. The other viewpoint could be that she was showing how she was acclimating to the situation, how she was becoming worthy of-

...Why should she have to prove her worth?

She wasn't going to hide the fact she was human. That would make who and what she was a weakness, and Aya was sick of that. She'd come this far, done all these impossible things as a human being. Sure, she was a pretty shitty human being, but she was human still. If she could hold her head high for being what she was in a world that wanted to harm her, then she might be able to pass some of that to her child, so that they could be happier than she ever would be.

So, she placed the mask at her hip, letting it show for when she was to meet the elder. On her other side were her daggers. Her hair was in a[ side plait](https://allthetropes.fandom.com/wiki/Motherly_Side_Plait), hanging over a shoulder. She was tightening her forearm guards when she heard a beep from an unknown electronic device. Geeze, she felt old.

On a screen on the opposite side of the room appeared a large-looking male yautja. He wore robes, his hair entwined with beads and other ornaments, and his body covered in Spartan-like armor. He shared many features with Bhu'ja and Bakuub, favoring Bakuub more in appearance save for those eyes. These eyes were colder, tactical, and as curious as she was sure she was. Like many yautja she had encountered, his tusk clicked for a moment.

"Ooman."

"Elder," she said neutrally, not willing to show fear.

She had to get this right, she had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I've been sleeping without a mattress for days now and my neighbors had a mariachi band playing past midnight. I need a yautja to turn into an uncomfortable pillow.
> 
> I'll try to update soon, but no promises.
> 
> Next chapter Aya has a conversation with the Elder, more fluff, and Aya gets to see the Mothership for the first time.


	13. Yautja Play Plundered Hearts Short

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since I haven't been able to write as well as I hoped as of late, on top of a lot of personal things happening, I figured I should post something extra to make up for the shortness of the previous chapter.
> 
> This was something I wrote for fun to someone I'd like to consider a friend. They like it, so I hope others will too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is in no way canon to the story, it's just something funny.

“Where did you guys get Plundered Hearts? And why do you have an Atari?”

  


The yautja looked at her in confusion. “Plundered Hearts?”

  


She gestured to the game console where she had found both items. Bakuub snorted, “A ooman, one I reluctantly allied with, offered it to me as a trophy.”

  


They allied with humans? In retrospect, it wasn’t that surprising. What was surprising was that Bakuub willingly accepted the gift. When she asked why, he said, “It is considered an extreme insult not to accept a gift, and this ooman claimed it was a part of their youth, something they treasured. I respected them, even if I find the object useless.”

  


He paused. “Do you know how to use the device?”

  


She laughed, “Yeah, I do. It’s an interactive game where you play as a female protagonist trying to survive in a dangerous environment while defeating Bad Bloods-" That was the closest analogy she was able to provide them. "-and forced to maintain behavior of what’s appropriate to her role in the culture in the era the game take place in despite the extreme situation. For a lot of people, it’s a challenge of their wit and strategy. It can be considered impressive to get a few of the multiple endings.”

  


Aya spoke nostalgically. “I remember getting so pissed as a kid when my parents introduced it to me. You have to be 'ladylike' in it. I never reached the real endings. I kept dying or uh, experiencing a fate worse than death.”

  


She wasn’t going to tell them what that last part meant. Suddenly, she found the yautja trying to figure out how to use the console. “Er, you’re gonna break that.”

  


They shoved it at her. “You, want to play this? [This](https://www.myabandonware.com/game/plundered-hearts-c9/play-c9)?”

  


And here she thought if they ever wanted to play a video game, they’d want something more modern, and violent, like a shooter game or something involving hunting. They were obsessed with that.

  


“You said it practices strategies and can be considered impressive. Show us.”

  


Wait, were they trying to find a way to impress her? Why were they so intent on finding ways to do that? Impressing was only for mating purposes, wasn't it? And she certainly couldn't mate with them or anything...Could she? Nope, not even gonna think about that. Viewing them as attractive would be weird, and she had enough weirdness in her life.

  


It took a while, but they figured out how to turn it on. She had to input the words and state what sentences were translated to since it was all in English. The translators they used only went so far. 

  


“LATE ONE SPRING EVENING IN THE WEST INDIES.” Oh god, she had to explain what the West Indies was. At least there was some snickers at her shitty attempts to match her voice to the tones of the text. She sucked at that. “A crash overhead! Pirates are boarding the Lafond Deux!” 

  


She really hoped she was pronouncing that right. 

  


“The Lafond Deux is the ship where the main character originally resides in the game,” she explained.

  


“Ah.”

  


“ _The first mate hurries you into Captain Davis’ cabin. ‘Good, you got the girl,’ Davis smirks. ‘She’ll keep the pirates busy. She was only a tool of Lafond’s anyway. Just let me find that cof_ \--’”

  


The Yautja were growling, clearly not pleased with the situation in the gameplay. She continued, “ _‘A man on deck screams in agony, and Davis starts. ‘Let’s go.’ The captain thrusts you on the bed and walks out, locking the door.’_ ”

  


The Yautja were growling louder. “ _His laugh echoes. ‘Best get comfortable, girl. You’re likely to be there the rest of your life._ ’”

  


“I hate this person already.”

  


“Same,” she agreed. Hopefully her throat wouldn’t get sore from reading out during all of this. “‘ _Cabin, on the bed. You are in the officer’s cabin, lit by the firelight glowing through a porthole. A door is to starboard. Except for the built in bed, the room seems to have been emptied thoroughly, if hurriedly._ ”

  


She turned to her companions. “Now you can make up an action to get yourself out of the situation, like searching specific parts of your surroundings for tools. You have to use precise words though, and think things through. There's stuff that the program either won't understand, or refuses to follow up on.”

Okay, it wasn't an AI or alive in any way, but the programmers were kind of assholes.

  


Yeah, they were familiar with that. Bakuub narrowed his eyes, “The room is empty? Except for the bed?”

  


“Yes.”

  


“Search the bed.”

  


_“Other than yourself, you can see nothing on the bed. ‘Aieee!’ echoes a scream, followed by several grunts and thumps.”_ There was more laughter when she vocalized the fake scream, and rather poorly. Acting wasn’t her strong suit, especially with this kind of role. She arched a brow, “Remember, you have to be ‘ladylike’. You can’t be directly violent and attack someone. At least not easily.”

  


That was really, really pissing them off. 

  


“Search under the bed,” Bakuub specified.

  


“ _You see a coffer under the bed._ ” She explained a coffer was a container.

  


“Open the ‘coffer’.”

  


“ _You can’t reach the coffer from under the bed._ ”

  


“Flip the bed.”

  


Didn’t he remember the bed was built-in? Or that he was supposed to be ladylike? Flipping over beds wasn’t very ladylike. _“You’re holding the bed. You recognize a voice from far away, ‘Don’t take that! Look in the cabin at the stern - you’ll find some fun there! It sounds like Davis._ ”

  


The yautja were cursing now, clearly having gotten the double-meaning. Some words they used the translator refused to provide. The device confused way too often. “Search the porthole for a weapon!”

  


That, wasn’t ladylike, but sure.

  


_“You can’t search a window! Suddenly, the ship lurches to one side, throwing you out of the bed. The coffer bumps against your foot. ‘The Falcon! The Falcon conquers!”_

“Open the coffer!”

  


Jeeze these guys were way too enthusiastic. Maybe they just wanted to beat someone up.Well, they had to wait for it, provided they survived and didn't suffer a fate worse than death. _“It’s quite locked.”_

  


“Break it on the wall!”

  


Again, not ladylike. And, it was going to draw attention. But Davis already told the main character where some “fun” was, so…

  


_“That sentence isn’t one I recognize.”_

  


It was really, really hard not to laugh at their frustration. “Search the room again!”

  


She shrugged. Aya knew that was futile. _“There’s nothing under the bed. ‘Cap’n Jamison, we got ‘em!” cries a rough voice.”_

  


“Break the porthole to escape!”

  


Oh boy.

  


_“And how do you propose to do that?"_ Cheeky programmers. _"With a creak and a crash, somewhere a mast falls to the deck.”_

  


Man, if she had popcorn, she’d be choking on it from hearing and watching their reactions. “Smash the coffer!”

  


“ _Trying to destroy the coffer doesn’t do anything. Crash! You whirl around to see the door shatter, kicked by a hulking man, his twisted visage blackened with soot and blood._ ” Gee, this sounds familiar. “ _‘Me name’s Andy Crulley, and ladies learn to love me,’ sniggers the pirate, advancing towards you_.’”

  


More cursing. “ _‘Aieee!’ echoes a scream, followed by several grunts and thumps._ ”

  


They were enjoying her falsetto voice way too much. “Smash the coffer on his pathetic skull! It's not even worthy to make a trophy of!”

  


“ _I don’t know the word ‘skull’._ ”

  


Increasingly more cursing. “Hit him with coffer!”

  


This time, she took some pity and typed in a slightly altered phrase: “ _Hit Crulley with coffer._ ”

  


“ _You’re not holding the coffer_.”

Okay, that was partially also her mistake. “PICK UP THE DAMN COFFER!”

  


“ _Taken. ‘Avast me, but ain’t you a beauty,’ sniggers the pirate. His breath is heavy with rum.”_ Aya didn’t think she’d ever heard the yautja sound disgusted before. She wished she had a way of recording it. _“The Falcon, The Falcon conquers!_ ”

  


“NOW HIT CRULLEY’S PAUKING HEAD!”

  


They were getting way too into the game now. Aya was getting worried. She hoped they wouldn't break the Atari.

  


“ _With all your strength you whack the pirate over the head with the coffer. The pirate stumbles, dizzy. ‘They call me Andy, but I’m really randy,’ slurs the pirate. Crulley drags you, despite your resistance-_ ”

  


“Pauking piece of-!”

  


She ignored Kata’nu screeching for the moment. “ _Then suddenly, he grunts, stiffens and slumps into your arms. Stunned, Crulley collapses at your feet, eyes rolling._ ”

  


“YES!”

  


Again, ignoring them. “ _A tall form blocks the shattered door-_ ”

  


“C’JIT!”

  


“ _One fist still raised from striking your attacker. You catch a glimpse of the hard masculinity of his broad shoulders, the implied power in the scar that etches into the stranger’s jaw, and feel tremors course through your veins._ ”

Aya doubted those 'tremors' were entirely from fear. Damn, it was hard not to bite her lip as she remembered the cover to the game. This guy was no Fabio, but _hot damn_.

  


This time, the yautja were silent, giving her odd looks. Bhu’ja seemed agitated, and not from the gameplay per se. What? She was only translating what was on screen!

...Could they sense she found the character attractive? Crap. Quick, think of something ultra-gross. Right, Crulley, he was gross.

  


“ _Then you realize how ragged are his shirt, patched breeches, and high boots._ ” Shit, this was not helping. Her imagination was getting the better of her. Okay, now she was intentionally pissing them off by speaking in certain tones. “ _Intuitively, you understand -- He i_ _s the dreaded Falcon, scourge of the sea! Alas, your fate is sealed. Resigned, you meet his sea-blue eyes._ ”

  


“SMASH HIS HEAD IN, TOO!”

  


_“You recognize a voice from far away, ‘Don’t take that! Look in the cabin at the stern - you’ll find some fun there! It sounds like Davis.”_

  


Bakuub squinted, “These words are repeated?”

“Not without meaning,” she stated. “Your turn to pick something.”

  


“Can we attack him?”

  


“That’s not ladylike,” she said, before even typing anything in. “And the coffer is different in old culture. You’re not using your bare hands or using a true weapon. And, with how this is phrased, I really don’t think you should try.”

  


Seriously, the yautja were pissed off enough. Maybe this gameplay was a mistake.

  


“...Examine him for a weakness.”

  


“You do realize he has a crew outside that can easily kill you even if you’re lucky enough to hurt him, right?”

  


“Then, ask what he wants.”

  


“ _You used the word ‘want’ in a way I don’t understand._ ”

  


“Listen to him?”

  


Interesting choice. “ _You listen intently. To your surprise, the stranger bows. ‘Well met, my lady.’ His accent is cultured, his smile vibrant.” They were ramping up the growling now. Maybe she shouldn’t try to alter her voice so much. “I am Captain Nicholas Jamison, known in these waters as ‘The Falcon’. Your father has sent me.’ He chuckles at your glare of distrust._ ”

  


Kata’nu cheered, “Yes, this female may have some spine, yet!”

  


“ _‘Yes, you are like your sire. You needn’t believe me untried--I carry this.’ He hands you a missive._ ”

  


“Read it.”

It was irritating, following those demands, but she proceeded anyway. This was fun.

  


“ _The missive is in dear Papa’s handwriting…_ ” She went on to read the text, her throat starting to get sore. At the very least, this was good practice for storytelling to her baby. “ _The pirate bows. ‘My lady, may I offer my protection and my ship until your father is free?’"_

She'd forgotten how chivalrous, if a bit sexist, the lead romance was supposed to be. It was honestly a bit flattering. Too bad that wasn't going to happen. She doubted the Yautja would ever do stuff like that.

_"‘Cap’n Jamison, we got ‘em!’ cries a rough voice._ ”

The option of making the next move appeared. She knew for a fact that you could flee, wait on deck, or scream. Point was, there was still a choice of going with the captain. She explained best she could without giving away what she knew were possible answers.

  


This time, all the yautja were staring at her. It was a silence not filled with awkwardness, but intensity. For what reason, she didn't know. Bhu'ja murmured, “You make the choice this time.”

  


Her? Wasn’t this their gameplay? Her choice didn't really matter in this case. It was their story, not hers. “I’ve played this before, so that’s not really fair.”

That and she had spoilers. Years later she found places where you could find walkthroughs to better play the story, but she never could bring herself to do it. It didn't feel earned if she did that. 

  


“What would _you_ do? If this actually happened? If you were in her position?”

As in, what would she do if she had the choice to follow a total stranger, one who could easily kill her, and travel into the unknown? Where she knew her life would be in danger?

...Wow, this really was familiar. She hadn't considered the similarities before. She was a massive idiot.

That meant, they were asking her, would _she_ have followed _them_.

She hesitated, “I, I guess I’d reluctantly go with him. I have people who need me in this scenario. I can’t just sit around and do nothing.”

The main character had her father, and Aya had her child.

  


“Then do that.”

  


Was there something else she wasn’t catching on to? “ _He chuckles, ‘Brave lady, to trust a stranger--and a pirate. Who knows, perhaps I forged your father’s signature? Keep by my side as we go to my ship -- few sailors respect a lady’s dignity._ ”

  


Bhu’ja grumbled something she couldn’t hear. Kata’nu cursed. And Bakuub? He was patient as always. After a series of events, including barely avoiding danger and needing to be rescued by The Falcon, she paused the game, rubbing her throat.

  


Bakuub offered her a drink, which she thanked him for. “I’m going to take a nap now. I know you’re pissed at the game, but, please don’t break it? It was fun playing that again.”

  


It was still weird to say ‘please’. However, she didn’t have much of anything of Earth left. That, and, this really was fun to play with them. It wasn’t nearly as entertaining as hunting, but it was enjoyable.

  


They agreed, and Kata’nu asked, “Can we play again soon?”

  


She beamed, “Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	14. Little things and big decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Pregnant Lady Kicks Predator Butt:
> 
> First impressions meant everything, and any detail that she messed up could ruin not just her life, but others' as well. It'd be safest to have him speak first, and figure out her best response. Should she wear the mask she'd been gifted? Turning it over in her hand, she contemplated how such a thing could be interpreted. On one hand, it could be like Black Face, pretending to be something she wasn't and being as insulting as possible at the same time. It could literally be a racist move, and that's one of the worst ways to go about something. The other viewpoint could be that she was showing how she was acclimating to the situation, how she was becoming worthy of-
> 
> ...Why should she have to prove her worth?
> 
> She wasn't going to hide the fact she was human. That would make who and what she was a weakness, and Aya was sick of that. She'd come this far, done all these impossible things as a human being. Sure, she was a pretty shitty human being, but she was human still. If she could hold her head high for being what she was in a world that wanted to harm her, then she might be able to pass some of that to her child, so that they could be happier than she ever would be.
> 
> So, she placed the mask at her hip, letting it show for when she was to meet the elder. On her other side were her daggers. Her hair was in a side plait, hanging over a shoulder. She was tightening her forearm guards when she heard a beep from an unknown electronic device. Geeze, she felt old.
> 
> On a screen on the opposite side of the room appeared a large-looking male yautja. He wore robes, his hair entwined with beads and other ornaments, and his body covered in Spartan-like armor. He shared many features with Bhu'ja and Bakuub, favoring Bakuub more in appearance save for those eyes. These eyes were colder, tactical, and as curious as she was sure she was. Like many yautja she had encountered, his tusk clicked for a moment.
> 
> "Ooman."
> 
> "Elder," she said neutrally, not willing to show fear.
> 
> She had to get this right, she had to.

Aya Prynne made sure to stand up straight, stand up tall, and for her posture to show more confidence than she really had.

She had survived attacks by kainde amedha and Bad Bloods. She'd hunted, mutilated, and eviscerated her enemies. She wore their bones and shells, the same that were on display now. Yeah, she'd done it all haphazardly, but she was determined as hell to try to do the next right thing for her baby. So why was this almost more nerve-wracking than anything she'd done before? To steady herself, keep her composure, she decided to let herself get angry. She thought of motels and police stations and hospital rooms. She thought of a holding cell and court rooms. Anger was what kept her fear at bay, it was what helped her to stay alive and survive. Now, it was going to help her thrive.

"Ooman." Okay, him saying 'ooman' in that deep baritone instead of 'human' helped lighten the load on her shoulders. She still couldn't get over how they couldn't say her species' name. "Do you know why you're here?"

Don't be a bitch. Don't be a bitch. Don't be a bitch. "I have been informed of little and I find it in my best interest to wait and observe...Elder."

She tried to speak respectfully, but not as though she were afraid. There was more clicking of the tusks, and the flare of them suggested a grin. Aya hated the expression instantly. "Close, I am not just an Elder, but the Clan Leader. Though I suspect you are still learning."

Don't curse. Don't be a bitch. Goddamn this was hard. "I have found a tutor in the warrior honor bound to keep me and my young alive. What I learn is at his... _Discretion_."

She tried not to sneer, or be a bitch. She really did. The male nodded. "Yet you have taken to your role well. Not many females of your species can do what you would, or even consider doing it if they could."

Don't arch an eyebrow in expectation for more info. Fuck, this was hard. Being submissive wasn't her thing at all. She sucked at it. "Would you please clarify?"

This time, he clucked his tusks in annoyance, shaking his head. "I do not say this often. Ease, young one. You are tired, are you not? I have sired many offspring of my own, including with my life mate. I know when a child bearer needs rest." His eyes met hers. "And we have much to discuss."

Aya wasn't going to enjoy this, was she?

* * *

"You're pacing."

"I am not," Bhu'ja said, still walking up and down the halls. "What are they talking about?"

Bakuub huffed, "Would you dare listen in on an Elder's private conversation?"

The pacing one growled, "No, but Aya is ooman, and one I have yet to teach our culture of."

"Then the blame is on you for that."

Bakuub was peeling fruits and prepping meat to feed to the members on the ship. The smallest portion went to Aya, which made Bhu'ja concerned about whether or not she was eating enough. While she was forward with medical information, which they had now uploaded to files for physicians to access for future use, she was very guarded. Most of the time that would be wise, but it also concerned the health of her offspring...

Would the suckling look like her? Would it be male, female? Did oomans come in other genders? How does one hold them? He looked at his claws, recalling how often he had torn spines out of ooman prey and how easy it was to tear their flesh from bone. How fragile was a ooman suckling in comparison? Should he ever touch one?

"Yes, it is," he uttered in response, quietly, ashamed. "I'm supposed to protect her, brother."

Bakuub glanced over to the trophy room where a giant skeleton of a hard meat queen rested. "I'm fairly sure she can manage. She is observant, and knows how to prepare herself for battle. Though I question her decisions when it comes to hunting, I find she is...Interesting."

Interesting? "You, are attracted to her?"

Why did that aggravate Bhu'ja? In his mind he could see Bakuub providing a safer, more controlled life for Aya. Few ever questioned Bakuub as they did Bhu'ja. Bakuub was the more patient, understanding one. He could even see Bakuub being able to hold a living creature barely born in the palm of his harm without leaving any kind of mark. They would be safe, happy, with him. "Yes, and no."

Bhu'ja waited for an answer. Bakuub sighed. "I find many qualities of her to be admirable, possibly endearing, but I think she's young, very young. Perhaps a bit too impulsive. If I had to say anything of feelings, I'd say it's like making sure an infant doesn't get stabbed. There's potential, but not if she does anything too stupid." He turned to face Bhu'ja, "What about you?" Bhu'ja had tried not to linger on such thoughts, and didn't have an immediate answer. "You do know you could claim her as a mate, right? It does not have to be a life mate, seeing as how short her lifespan is compared to ours, but it would give her a stronger position in the clan. You would officially be named a parent of her offspring. She would truly be considered an honorary yautja as have ooman mates in the past."

Aya, as a life mate? The images in his mind came far too easily, more easily than they should have. He had already seen her in their armor, he had seen her hunting, and could see her take down her enemies with ease should she wish. He could imagine them hunting fierce prey together, their opponents less than dust in their wake. He could imagine her on the ship, maybe all too wary of her surroundings at first, but growing accustomed. He could see her as a mother to oomans and yautja alike. They were going to love her.

"Bakuub, I-"

The doors finally opened, and a very exhausted female ooman walked out. Rage was drifting off of her in waves, and Bhu'ja barely had a moment to compose himself from his thoughts when she grabbed him by the arm and yanked him towards the training room.

"You. Me. Spar. Now."

It was a command. She was issuing him a command in the outfit, the _armor_ , he prepared for her made from her prey. She was wearing her trophies and ordering him to spar with her. That, and she was pregnant. Imagination had nothing on this. This was a nightmare, and he was grateful he was wearing protective garb over his more intimate areas nowadays. In the corner of his vision he saw Bakuub trying to stifle his own laughter while Kata'nu walked in the room, asking confused questions to Bhu'ja's older brother. That only made Bakuub nearly burst into laughter more.

On the platform, Bhu'ja tried not to react as Aya swore multiple forms of profanity under her breath. Her eyes were full of fire, searing into him. He got into his own position, waiting for her to make a move. he barely heard her footsteps as she ran at him, ducking under his arm and jabbing him in the ribs. He roared and swung out his leg, pulling hers out from under only for the one he wasn't entangled with to kick him in the face. He shouldered her side as she fell, both to better pin her down and to cushion her fall with the rest of his arm underneath her.

"What happened?" he tried asking, barely dodging her blows as she got back up onto her feet. And those were quick feet too. "Did the elder-?"

She roared, tackling him. How such a tiny thing could do this was beyond him. He was going to get bruises from this, and he would never tell her he liked it else she would draw away from him as soon as the words escaped. With a grunt, he twisted them both so that they separated, but stood a couple paces from one another. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, gathering her breath. It was good to hear how much better her ribs were healing.

"...I have permission to live on the mothership," she said quietly, the rage still palpable.

That lost him. "How is that a bad thing?"

"He said everyone saw what I was capable of, since video of my _activities_ was released by accident," she hissed. Her eyes were watering, and he realized she wasn't just feeling rage. "He said I, I didn't need to prove myself." If that was the case, why was she so angry? "What kind of _bullshit_ is that?"

What? This time, when her fist nearly made contact, he caught it, then the other. "What do you mean?"

"Bhuj'a." Her saying his name should not effect him as it did. Clearly she used it to her advantage as she maneuvered a way to jab him in the chest, hard. Oomans could be disturbingly flexible. "I've _always_ had to fight, to prove myself. All this time I've been expecting a fight. I've been preparing myself for it. Then your elder says there doesn't need to be one. Do you have any idea how irritating that is?"

Ah, it was too easy to her. It can make the senses feel trapped. _She_ felt trapped. "You were expecting a Hunt."

It took her a moment to absorb that, and he took advantage of the distraction to try to pin her down. It didn't work. Somehow, she ended up on top of him instead. "In a way, I guess. This is one of those few occasions where I don't want to fight, but-"

"The instinct remains, and because it is unfulfilled, that emptiness, the anticipation, it angers you." He examined her features. Her face was darker in some areas due to lack of air, blood flowing easily. Sweat was starting to form. Normally it didn't take this much to make her exhausted."You're used to fighting, even before we met." That would explain much of her disposition. "Do you wish to hunt?"

From atop him, she grunted, "Not exactly the smartest thing to do right now." She rolled off him, leaning against a wall with her eyes closed. "Yes, in a way I want to hunt, but I think, as your Elder so graciously put it, I've been pushing myself too much. And I'd rather not lose the baby from sheer stupidity and boredom."

Warily, prepared for any further attack, he sat next to her. "Was our spar not satisfactory?"

"We're both holding back, and that's frustrating," she confided. "I've never had to fight you guys at your full strength, and it's pissing me off. It makes me feel, like I'm less of something."

He gestured to her lower abdomen, "I'd say right now you're _more_ of something." She frowned at his poor joke. "Aya, you're soon to be a 'mother'. Yes, there is much to prepare for, but for now, focus on your health as it is the same as theirs."

She twitched when he said her name, but made no note of it. "You could've told me the Elder was your grandfather."

Bhu'ja shrugged. "There are many elders, and most have produced sucklings with numerous females."

She arched an eyebrow. "Dare I ask how many you've had?"

"Eighty-seven, and I believe some more soon to come." Aya's eyes were bulging in shock. "How many offspring have you had?"

"You're looking at it," she deadpanned. "Are, er, I can't believe I'm asking this, but what are yautja babies like?"

Thinking, he held up his hand, flexing the digits. Her eyes followed his movements nonchalantly, tracking him as a predator might prey. There was something both flattering and insulting about that. "We're born with claws, and tusks. As young ones-" He moved a few fingers so that the claws appeared to extend, then retract. "We cannot control our strength or grip very easily. I believe an Elder ooman I encountered once compared us to 'cats' at that age?"

"You've met a 'ooman' before that was in your clan?"

He huffed a small laugh. "Mo. She was a visitor from another clan, [with her mate](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_LOZuLY5ig) and their offspring." In some ways, those two had a similar story to Bhu'ja and Aya. Except the two had taken down the Queen Amedha Kainde together, and the male had miraculously survived being impregnated by what the oomans called a 'facehugger'. "One of their sucklings was feeding at the time."

"Feeding?"

"Ah, they, 'breastfeed'?"

There was a flash of fear in her expression as she looked to his mouth, then to her one of her own breasts. "Okay, those things can break through bone. How the hell-?"

He grinned, flaring his tusks a little. "We know when to bite, and when not to." She was unimpressed by his display. "Sucklings know when to suck. That's why they're called sucklings."

She seemed to understand now. "Still, teeth, ow."

That gave them both a small laugh. Strange how more at ease they were becoming around each other. Hopefully he wouldn't get slapped for this. "Well, yours do appear to be softer than our females'." She restrained herself quite remarkably. A disturbing thought occurred to him. "I thought when humans mated there were instances where teeth could be used for pleasure."

"I wouldn't know anything about that," she grumbled. At his expression, she sighed, "Look, I already told Kata'nu that I'd basically impale him for bringing up the kid's biological parentage again. I'll extend that promise to you if I have to." He wanted to ask more, but if even an Elder was saying not to stress her, then Bhu'ja really shouldn't get her angrier than she already was. Her hand was on her lower abdomen. "Do me a favor? Tell me more about baby yautja? 'Cause now I'm just thinking about all of you having cat ears like you're from some kind of anime convention."

"...What is anime?"

She laughed. She actually laughed. He liked the sound of her.

"It's a form of animation, or where you kind of make a bunch of drawings or pieces of art come together to make them seem alive." At his confusion, she asked if he had something she could sketch with and pieces of paper. He brought her a writing pad instead, and watched her hands at work. She drew a circle on one side of the page, and on the following pages, she drew it in multiple places. With a grin, she took the pages and released them. Bhu'ja watched as the circle moved. "See, I made a bouncing ball."

She did not mean any innuendo by that. She did not. "You mean, a simulation?"

"I guess you can call it that. But mostly we use animation to tell stories." She smiled sadly. "I wanted to be an artist when I was younger, to tell stories through animation when I was a kid. But, my parents told me that sketching and drawing wouldn't get me anywhere. That it wasn't a stable enough career to keep me alive. That, and my temper wouldn't let me according to them. So, I went into sports and into electronics and communication. Athletics got me a way to pay for education, and the degree I wanted would've gotten me a good job, supposedly."

There was regret, sorrow in her tone. He hated hearing her talk like that. So, he began to describe baby yautja to her, and told her stories of his people so that she could sketch them. Little of what she drew was ever accurate, but the joy she got from such a small thing was palpable. And he wanted to see more of her smile. Bakuub came to collect them, a medic kit in hand just in case there were injuries from their previous rough housing. Bhu'ja played with the pages Aya sketched on, watching the drawings come to life. There was no true purpose to them, but, it was enjoying to see such small things.

* * *

"Okay, let's see if I got this correct."

Kata'nu leaned in closely, the pupils of Bhu'ja learning much from one another in one of their study sessions. He was thrilled to be in charge of a lesson this time, although he was also typically excited when Aya divulged him information on humans and other Earth species. She suspected he wanted it to learn how to hunt his prey better, but there were also moments where he adored hearing of cultural things that held little to no relevance of hunting, at least to her. If anything, he kind of reminded her of Princess Ariel from Disney's the Little Mermaid. She nearly snickered once when imagining him in a red wig and purple seashell bra. Could these guys even sing? They could make those weird lion-like noises and mimic words occasionally without technology. But then again, that weird purring thing they could do was freaky enough.

"Bakuub is an adjutant, which is like a teacher. They typically serve the Leaders of the clan, who are the people that manage the younger ranks?" Leaders sounded like school counselors in all honesty. "And the _Clan_ Leaders are, just that, they lead _everybody_?"

He nodded.

"The superior ruling group is the Council of Ancients, where yautja who are literally thousands of years old are in charge?"

"And don't forget that Bhu'ja is working to become an Elite. That's where a yautja not only has completed his training, but has successfully hunted numerous, specific, dangerous species. You could be one too if you wanted."

Aya gave him a dull look, and gestured to her lower abdomen. "Flattered, but a little busy here." Besides, did this mean she ruined Bhu'ja's life even more? He was a hunter, their entire species' culture was based around hunting and fucking. Carrying a tiny human around made hunting more difficult, and if their people held true to previous biases to what she'd been informed, despite what Bhu'ja's and Bakuub's grandfather claimed, keeping her around wasn't good for sexual prospects. 

"I think you'd do well against a River Ghost. Or maybe a quatza-rij? Or a vy'drach?"

"The fuck are those?"

Bhu'ja walked in, and Kata'nu whispered conspiratorially, "I'll send you images later."

Aya was starting to regret her question immediately. Bhu'ja sat next to them, meal in hand. Kata'nu's and Bhu'ja's food was more on the rare side than Aya's, and watching them eat with their tusks was kind of fun, and creepy. She tried not to stare most of the time, but seeing what was basically her daggers pick apart and tear at the meat was hard to look away from sometimes. It was hypnotizing in a fucking weird ass way. So, she just focused on eating whatever _blood-pig,_ as the translator so helpfully named, was. It wasn't like that faux wagyu stuff Bhu'ja gave her earlier, but it was okay. She hadn't puked yet, so that was a plus.

...Oh dear gods she was turning into a Klingon.

Glancing at Bhu'ja, she said, "I'm up for another [civics test](https://www.reddit.com/r/predator/comments/d4kp52/a_comprehensive_guide_to_every_known_yautja_clan/), but afterwards mind if I head to bed? I'm, I'm feeling just a bit drained here."

She winced as she admitted that last part. Aya was trying to do better, she really was, but at what point would it mean being weak? What was the limit? Bhu'ja looked ready to protest, but Aya figured she must've looked worse for wear from how he paused before making a decision. He agreed, and after dinner she recited the basic social structure to the best of her ability. He made only a couple of corrections, and what she messed up was relatively minor. Kata'nu already went to bed, while Aya spoke with Bhu'ja.

"Are you ill?"

"No, I'm pregnant," she teased lightly, reading over her makeshift notes. There was no way she was going to be able to read these guys' alphabet soon, and she still wasn't sure they'd even share that information with her. The yautja were understandably very secretive about a lot of things. "It kind of takes its toll on the body and mind considering how much goes into growing the baby."

He held up his hand, and she arched a brow in response. "May I feel?"

Confused, and more than a little concerned, she asked, "Where?" He gestured to her lower abdomen. Oh. Shrugging she said, "Just be careful, okay?" For somebody who had outrageously destructive talons, he seemed to touch everything as if it were made of glass. She made a small little jump at first, unused the sensation of someone touching her belly. He started to pull away and she shook her head. "Sorry, just not used to this." 

He still pulled away, even if his touch lingered for a couple of seconds. "I'm not used to seeing a human unafraid."

Was that a compliment or an insult? Was he being sarcastic? She was terrified all of the fucking time. Getting pissed off just tended to help her deal with that. "I'm always afraid. I just don't let fear stop me from doing what I need to. If I did, I wouldn't be here."

Bhu'ja didn't respond to that directly. "Tomorrow we'll be arriving at the ship."

And there will be groups of yautja that either support her or want to kill her. Aya didn't know which one was worse. She nearly flinched when his hand touched her arm. He was always careful with his claws around her. Deep down, really, really deep down, a part of her wished he needn't be so gentle. She kind of liked it when he didn't hold back as much. It felt more honest. More dependable, and maybe more trustworthy. With this? Soft? She didn't know what to do with soft, especially when she knew what this guy was capable of.

"Goody," she said flatly, as emotionless as possible. At his expression, she said, "It feels like I'm walking into a trap...Look, I'm tired. I'll just, see you in the morning, Bhu'ja. Good night."

She left him then, shutting her assigned room door behind her. Rubbing her eyebrows, she thought back to something that the Elder had told her...

_**"I had a human mate once. The only way I was able to bring her with me was because of my rank."** _

_**Um, okay, good for him?** _

_**"Of course, my mate had to claim me. It is ultimately the females' choice that matters when it comes to such partnerships." He gave her a meaningful look. "Both of my 'grandsons' that you have met hold great status in the clan, which is partially why you're able to board the ship. With your skills, you could live as your own person."** _

_**Save for the fact that Bhu'ja was honor-bound to monitor her? Upon her pointing this out, the Elder chuckled. "True, but after the little stunts you've pulled, it's not hard to disbelieve you could find your own way in our home. It would take time, but you could do it." His tusks clicked together. "An alternative that would ensure that you have protection, is if you claimed one of the males as your own."** _

_**What? She gaped for a moment before shutting her mouth. How does she put this without being offensive to one of the highest authority figures here? "Um, I'm fairly sure neither of them would appreciate-"** _

_**"They wouldn't have a choice." Dread filled her at those words. It was almost mind numbing. "If a female commands it, so shall it be."** _

_**For a millisecond, Aya's mind was flooded with darker memories where choice no longer mattered to someone in power. "What do you mean by that?"** _

_**"Should you claim them, they will be yours," he said. "All you have to do, is demand it. It would ensure that you have status in the clan, and ensure protection for you and your young..."** _

More had happened, more explanation but for the most part she'd been distracted by those few words, and the concept of not having a choice. She had already done so much damage, and fuck, she was starting to like these guys. She didn't really think of them as friends, but that didn't mean she didn't care.

As much as it hurt, she couldn't do that to either of them. She wouldn't. Especially not when she knew what that kind of thing was like.

Hand over her lower abdomen, she focused on her breathing, and tried to think of more pleasant things before going to sleep. 

Hopefully she wouldn't get more nightmares than usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Aya finally arrives on the ship, and there will be some fights, actual fights and not sparring...She is not a morning person.


	15. Take a Hint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is more of a fluff chapter.
> 
> People may or may not be finally catching on its not a good idea to stress out a pregnant lady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, none ofthe Yautja are canon characters, they just share common names like John or Jane.

If someone told Bhu'ja about what he was about to do mere days ago? He would've called that person insane.

"We're actually bringing a ooman to our mothership," Kata'nu whispered.

Aya had gone to bed earlier, needing more and more rest as of late, much to her agitation. Well, everything made her angry but she seemed far more willing to act with violence or not so subtle threats that Bhu'ja was fairly sure she was capable of following through on. It reminded him of a female yautja greatly, leaving him with some very conflicting emotions.

When interested in a female, one shows off trophies, maybe sometimes approach first. Yautja do not hide their emotions. If they desire something, they get it, or in the case of dealing with females, impress them. With Aya, well, she was pregnant for starters. She also showed some confusion at the idea of mating with their kind, which was understandable, thus he doubted she would be interested, especially since they took her from her home and essentially ruined her life, and he was to blame.

Then, there was her behavior regarding whoever fathered her offspring. She was very closed off about it, and despite all she'd gone through, for some reason bringing that up had enraged her the most. Did she have a bad mate?Had he hurt her in some way, emotionally or physically? No pleasurable experience? She said that she only mated once, and her discomfort discussing motherhood displayed that she hadn't been interested in birthing offspring. Dread filled him at the possibilities, for he knew that males were not always respectful of their females on Earth. He himself had witnessed the disgusting nature of how oomans treated one another.

...What if the father of her offspring hadn't been a mate at all? What if she hadn't desired the male, or there was trickery involved? But, then why would she want to keep her suckling? Why sacrifice so much? Why take so many risks? Children were precious to yautja, and never to be harmed or killed, but they also sought to produce the strongest they could for the next generation. There was no fault if the offspring was undesirable, or if something dishonorable involved. It was the female's choice, it should always be.

"It wouldn't be a first time there's been one here," Bakuub said.

His arms were folded, chest puffed. He was trying to stand confidently, ready for a fight.

Bhu'ja knew he needed to be ready too.

He went to go wake Aya up, but when he opened the door, he found her in a deep sleep, bags under her eyes. She needed more rest, she'd been pushing herself too much. Even the yautja had limits. Carefully, he located a blanket and covered her, purring softly when she began to stir. He wished he could remove the armor, but knew that he had not been given permission to do so. That, and she was not fond of being woken up by someone else.

Narrowing his eyes, he reached out and tucked back one of her stray "hairs", his talons briefly lingering over those strange ears of hers. She mumbled something, then her breathing deepened once more. Leaving her be, he contacted the Elder, knowing that the former had to meet in person with many to confirm who was friend or foe. Bhu'ja needed to return to his duties, and Kata'nu had to report for further training.

Thinking carefully, he contacted someone he _knew_ could be trusted.

He just hoped that Aya wouldn't wake before he returned.

* * *

_**Little Aya Prynne held herself self consciously, cheeks burning in embarrassment and anger.** _

_**"I'm sorry...Suspended...Cannot condone...Act of violence..."** _

_**Sitting outside the principal's office, she tried to keep the tears at bay. She was thankful she and the desk lady were the only ones in the immediate room. What she hated was that her parents were in the office. It was going to be the third time that week.** _

_**"But he-!"** _

_**They were going to be mad at her again. Why couldn't she just control herself for once like they said she needed to? Why couldn't she be better?** _

_**"I'm sorry, Mrs. Prynne, but she severely beat a boy in her classroom. It doesn't matter that he was snapping her bra strap-"** _

_**The young girl covered her ears, not wanting to hear more, but the rooms echoed. She jumped a little when the secretary offered her a cup of water. Aya thanked her, her words barely a whisper but still audible in the near vacant room. The elderly woman offered her a small smile, a pitying one. "I'm sorry, young lady, but boys will be boys. And boys, they like messing with girls, even if it hurts us."** _

_**The little girl wanted to say a new word she recently learned, one she knew was bad, but this lady was trying to be nice in her own way. And, it wasn't a lie. Aya just couldn't understand why no one would listen. The teachers didn't listen, and just laughed it off. The girls got angry at her for complaining at all. And the boy? Whenever she said she didn't like it or tried to tell that jerk to stop, he only said more mean words and grabbed at her or her clothing.** _

_**She hadn't meant to hit him. She just got so angry. Her parents finally stepped out along with other adults, and she knew they were pissed off.** _

_**"Young lady, it's about time we talked about your behavior."** _

_**She wanted to scream. She wanted to shout. Do or say anything.** _

_**Even in a crowd with those she was supposed to trust, Aya knew she was alone.** _

_**Maybe it was better that way...** _

Awake, Aya sat up, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Well, that dream was unexpected, but not wholly so. She'd been in elementary school and puberty was a bitch. And it wasn't long after that she was made to join the Girl Scouts. In retrospect, she learned a lot from both experiences and she might not even have been alive had she not thrown that punch, as ridiculous as they might sound to some.

She realized that by that weird clock the yautja had, she was up early. Anxiety must've been getting to her. So, she stretched, took a bath, and brushed her hair. Pondering what manner to make her appearance (ugh, she never had to worry so much about that before), she put her hair up in a box braids and mohawk combo. It didn't quite look like the yautja's deadlock-like protrusions, whatever those things were, but something similar while still being human.

The human woman was putting on her armor when she paused, looking at her distending abdomen. It wasn't too noticeable unless one was looking, but it was growing. The little one inside her was growing. She smiled bitter-sweetly, searching her surroundings before trying to sing a small lullaby just between the two of them. Doctors had told her that the baby should be able to hear her right now, so with all the chaos going on? Maybe it would be nicer to hear something besides roaring and screaming. She hoped the kid hadn't gone deaf in all of this. Shit, she was a crappy mom. Collecting herself, she redressed, her armor gleaming by the lights of distant stars through the window's glass. Sadly, she still felt exhausted.

It turned out the armor's netting was something she was quickly becoming comfortable with due to how it warmed her body. So, she decided to take a short nap on the bed once more, daggers kept close at hand. It was idiotic, but she just felt safer that way.

Putting on the mask, she looked down, and fell back to sleep while watching and feeling her baby's pulse.

The next she woke up, there was an alert at her door that someone was trying to open it. Aya was suddenly glad she wore the mask in her sleep, because she had no idea who or what was on the other side of that door. Trying not to panic, and preparing for a fight, she tried contacting Bhu'ja and Bakuub. The former answered a lot faster than the latter.

"Yes, Aya?"

"There's a strange male standing outside my door. Please let me know if I need to kill someone."

She did not want another repeat of what happened with the Bad Bloods. There was a noise on the other side and Bakuub laughed through the comlink. "Mo. He's Yeyinde, someone the Elder sent to guard you while you were asleep...Did you already attack him?"

"I was about to," she deadpanned, daggers in hand. "Where are you?"

"With the Elder. We arrived at the mothership a couple of your Earth hours ago, but it was agreed by everyone that you needed your rest."

She blinked, "I'm pregnant, I'm cranky, and he's staring through the door. I need to go to the bathroom. Please inform him if he doesn't turn around I will add his tusks to my dagger set."

There was a pause, and she could see the figure turn. Good.

* * *

The Elder blinked, then chuckled. "I knew she was fierce, but I don't think the recordings you sent did her justice."

Bakuub sighed, clearly exhausted. "She made a hard meat _explode,_ and mutilated and slaughter multiple Bad Bloods. I don't think we should underestimate her capacity of violence."

"You shouldn't for any female," the Elder said with great wisdom. "I've witnessed the most gentle and kind of females give in to bloodlust when something has threatened them or their loved ones, especially their sucklings. If she feels endangered, she will defend herself with extreme prejudice."

A female, Than-guan, stood with them. She towered over the males, including the Elder. She was considered one of the most physically attractive of the clan, and had moretrophies than most of the males. She had also birthed many offspring, and was currently holding a suckling in her lap. "Is she herself a threat to our young ones?"

"I don't think so," Bhu'a said. "While she shows conflicting emotions regarding offspring, she also cares about them a great deal. While we were hunting prey, she unconsciously displayed concern, and protectiveness over the youths, actively avoiding them."

"She could have just been trying to follow the yautja code," Than-guan pointed out. Chittering lowly to herself, she set down the suckling. "Let's put her to the test, shall we? If she shows no hostility towards sucklings, I will permit her to live and interact in the sucklings' and females' portion of the ship. If not, she stays with you, Bhu'ja."

He hesitated, trying to phrase his next words very, very carefully. "With all due respect, I am supposed to guard her, and ensure her health."

"And I am a female with experience dealing with both yautja and ooman pregnancies. What experiences do you have?" She watched him with a piercing gaze. "I can ensure her health better than you can, and her safety seeing as no male enters our rooms without permission. She will also need experience dealing with little ones if she truly desires to raise her own suckling here. If she chooses to explore other parts of the ship, you may guard her."

Bhu'ja had no valid argument. He couldn't help but wish to keep an eye on Aya though, to be there with her. She hadn't gotten into so much danger in the past, and he had failed too many times already.

He reluctantly nodded, and the female made the equivalent of a smirk.

"Then, let's begin."

* * *

Aya weighed her options. She wanted out, but didn't know what was outside her room. She also didn't know this knew Yeyinde guy. Meeting the other yautja wasn't much of a choice? This though? First impressions were always everything, and she may have already fucked shit up when she said she'd take out the guy's tusks just for looking. That was a poor choice on her part, and she blamed the stupid ass baby brain. It make her thinking a little hazy sometimes.

After a couple of minutes, her hunger won out when her stomach complained, which meant that the baby was going to complain too. Great. Sighing, she adjusted her mask, and knocked on the door. She barely knew how to interact with people, but this? At least with humans she had some clue of what she was doing. When there was no audible response, she opened the door and looked up to see a yautja at least three heads taller than her. His brows were furrowed, and she guessed he was glaring.

"Yeyinde, right?" she said flatly. "First, I want to say unless you piss me off or threaten my life or my baby's, I won't tear off your tusks, so apologies in advance for that." He made a small chittering noise, still listening. "Second, I really need food, and the best thing I've been able to keep down is the blood-pig and _s'pke."_

That last thing apparently was some kind of stew made from the fruit that Bakuub always peeled for her. They'd found out that she did better with some liquids than solids. Being pregnant was an irritating course of trial and error at this point. Hopefully she didn't botch up the pronunciation on that. Wait, she had a translator. Why was she worrying about pronouncing shit?! 

"So, can you come with me while I get some?"

After a couple of seconds, he nodded, slightly bewildered for some reason. They went to the kitchen, and Yeyinde grabbed a container of the stew from one of the higher shelves. Her nose wrinkled at the scent for a second, but she adjusted and downed what she could. Glancing at him, she asked if he was going to eat anything.

"Mo."

Damn, that was a deep ass voice. She finally allowed herself to look at him properly. He had really shiny, gray armor and his body was littered with scars. A set of them ran all across his body, likely from a singular incident with something big. "Nice scars." The guy tensed, blinking once, twice at her, and his chest puffed up. Well, she must've done something right...Ish? Sighing, she thought for a moment. "Fine, I'm bored, and so are you and don't deny it." He tilted his head. "Tell me about your scars."

The warrior had a nice voice, and he quickly indulged her about when he was unblooded and fought a hard meat that was the offspring of a quatza-rij. Every once in a while, he'd look over her shoulder, and Aya could hear footsteps, but no one bothered them. At least until she heard fas scurrying of claws. Instinctively, she reached out and caught whatever it was. Her eyes then met what looked like a small, pudgy version of a yautja. It was about the size of a teddy bear, with huge ass eyes. The mandibles were tiny.

They stared for a moment, and Aya could sense the tenseness from Yeyinde. Slowly setting the little one down on her lap, she said softly, "Hello, my name is Aya. What's your name?"

She knew for a fact kids hated being talked down to, as if they were less than people. So, she was going to act as if this possible baby was just a tiny person. It stared, and then started saying stuff that sounded like absolute gibberish. It was confounding, and honestly a bit irritating, but just because she didn't understand it, didn't mean it made any less sense to the kid. The child (what gender was it?) gestured to Yeyinde, babbling nonsensically. She nodded sagely, "Do you want Yeyinde?"

It looked between the adult yautja, then her, then Yeyinde again before clinging to her. She offered a small smile at Yeyinde, who was just baffled.

"Are you sure? I'm a weird 'ooman'. He's the big, great warrior, just like you."

Yeyinde huffed something akin to a laugh, earning Aya's glare. The child looked between them again, saying something she couldn't understand. Thankfully, Yeyinde spoke, "Our young ones can't have translators. It's useless trying to communicate."

Oh, so it was a boy. Bouncing the kid up and down on her leg, causing it to squeal with merriment, she said, all while glancing at Yeyinde to give him a clue, "So, little one, where is your mother? I'm sure she's worried about now."

And Aya hoped her own skull wouldn't get bashed in for this. The males were huge, this guy the tallest she'd encountered so far. If the females were bigger, she was practically puny, maybe ant-sized. She could already hear her skull going _crunch_ and her brains turning into slush. The little one was more interested in inspecting her hair instead of answering the question. At least Yeyinde picked up on what she wanted. Actually, Yeyinde seemed to pale.

"She's standing right behind me, isn't she?" Yep, there was a growing shadow, and the kid squealed excitedly. Aya had made sure never to hold the kid save for the bouncing leg thing, but that was only so he wouldn't fall off. Sighing, she said, "Hey, little guy? You should go back to your mother now."

"Please, hold him a little longer. You're a natural."

Did all yautja have deep ass voices that made your bones tingle? Aya watched as the biggest, tallest yautja she'd seen sit across from her. She was covered in scars as well, and her skin was more of a reddish, earthy hue. Were all yautja some kind of Earthy color? It'd make sense on an evolutionary note for camouflage purposes. And Aya guessed from the humidity and heat that the ships were maintained at that yautja lived in environments with extreme temperatures. It may also explained why everyone dressed like strippers.

Aya still had her grip on the kid fairly loose in case he decided to go back to the true adults in the room. At this point, size-wise? She felt like a baby herself. "I am Than-guan."

The 'ooman' processed that. "I am Aya, Aya Prynne."

The yautja nodded. "And that is my son, Ikthya-de."

For crying out loud, why did everyone have names that sounded like they were given by H.P. Lovrcraft? She wouldn't doubt it if one of them was actually named Cthulhu. Wait, was she being culturally insensitve? Shit. "Um, can I practice saying those names a couple times?"

They practiced, with Yeyinde obviously trying to contain some form of laughter at Aya's terrible attempts. They managed to succeed, eventually.All the while, Aya held Ikthya-de, occasionally giving him treats with Than-guan's permission. Slowly, she grew more comfortable around these strangers, more around Than-guan than Yeyinde though.

"Ooman, Aya." See? Aya's name was easy to pronounce in comparison to their names. "I am the counseloer and watcher for females on our ship. I monitor the females' personal quarters, and observe the developments of sucklings. It is because of this, I am to help Bhu'ja prepare you and your offspring for life here." She did that clicking thing again. It was like a hum. "If you're concerned about other females, there will be some who will be aggressive towards you, but you are safe here. They will not harm you, or your young."

...Why was this person the most calming one here? Aya thought for a moment. "...Okay," she barely said, whispered really.

Yeyinde was surprised, clearly not having expected Aya's reaction. Aya wasn't exactly trusting Than-guan, she couldn't trust anybody really, but she needed to get things done, and get them done right.

Than-guan got up, holding out her hand to help Aya up. 

"Walk with me to your new home."

Ooh boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeyinde: Brave One  
> Thai-guan: Midnight  
> Ikthya-de: Umbra


	16. Update: Teaser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's some stuff going on at home so I may not be able to update for a while. In the meantime, have a peek at the first draft of some smut between Aya and Bhu'ja. Keep in mind for all my works that smut is optional and will be labeled.
> 
> It's not official, but hopefully people will be somewhat satisfied.
> 
> Warning: It's been a while since I've written this kind of stuff, and it's a FIRST DRAFT sample of what I have. There's going to be a whole chapter planned of it. Hope you're happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People, Bhu'ja and Aya are endgame, okay? So this isn't as spoiler-filled as you might think.

Aya searched the Bhu'ja's eyes. “I don’t want to use you.” She didn’t want him. She didn’t desire him even if her body did. Her hardened gaze softened. They were full of pain. "You're someone I care about, Bhu'ja, not something for my entertainment. I don't want to hurt you."

What? He stared, then trilled gently as he knelt before her. He rumbled softly for her. Aya, one of the greatest warriors he’d met, one of the fiercest souls, was afraid for him. She was afraid of hurting him. He hadn’t known such care, not in a long time. Mating was a common practice, with little emotions behind them. A female’s pleasure was always imperative, the male’s less so. And it was almost always to produce young, to strengthen bloodlines.

He placed his forehead to hers, a small gesture of affection meant to comfort. “You wouldn’t be using me.”  Her eyes widened, and she looked up at him, their faces closer than they ever had been. He could sense her urge to run, but she was denying it, trying not to. He ran his hand through her hair, causing her to shiver.  Inhaling deeply, he said, “I desire you. I have for a long time.” His thumb traced her cheekbones, the flesh soft under his fingers. “Please, let me have you?”

She stared for a long moment, her voice a whisper. “I, I don’t know…”

He pulled back, “Then we do not have to.”

Her hand caught his. She was biting her bottom lip, trembling. “That’s not what I meant. Bhu’ja, I don’t want to disappoint you.”

Bhu’ja lifted a portion of her hair then, recalling part of ooman courtship as his mandibles traced it back to one of her ears. This time, when she trembled, he could smell that it was for a different reason. “You have never disappointed me, and you won’t here.”

He began purring once more, smelling more of the musk she made as she relaxed. His mandibles carefully moved down her throat, making her gasp. Bhu’ja had heard of how sensitive that area could be. If that elicited such a reaction, he wanted to learn what else would. She jumped a little when his tongue raked her throat, but she also made a quiet moan that made him rumble more. He wanted to hear more sounds just like that, but louder.

Her pupils were dilating, her legs starting to quiver. The delicious scent grew stronger. He paused, and whispered, “If you want this, you must demand it of me...You must take control.”

She would need to dominate him, tell him what she wanted most, and he would fulfill her every desire.

Bhu’ja wouldn’t deny being surprised by the sharp growl that erupted from her, or how his back landed back on the bed they had begun to share during these difficult times for her. The bed was heavy with both their scents. She was glaring at him with dark eyes. However instead of being filled with rage, there was a great deal of determination, and lust. Her fingers found one of his dreadlocks, scraping it with her tiny claws. He growled deeply, the sound mixing with his purrs.

“I want you,  _ now _ .”

That wasn't a demand, but an order.

Good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually have something longer than this, but it would involve even more spoilers for future chapters.
> 
> Let's just say that a "prayer" made by one of the commentators might be happening in the near future.
> 
> ...If there's a Hell, I'm going there, aren't I?


	17. A matter of fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleep, where art thou?
> 
> Damn it, I'm not supposed to update for a while. Sleep deprivation gets the best of you sometimes, sadly.
> 
> Seriously, please don't ask for chapters for the next few days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is a massive blend of the lore and head-canon. It was never meant to be totally accurate, especially since this story was originally intended to be a comedy.
> 
> Warning: I was sleep deprived and half awake when writing this.

The first thing that Than-guan had Aya do, was go to the ship’s doctor, or the equivalent of one. Aya had been wary of the syringes and scanners, so the female yautja confiscated the daggers, much to Aya’s ire. The healers weren’t sure to be amused or irritated. They were surprised to learn that a ‘ooman’ could growl.

“Aya,” Than-guan admonished, sighing as she put a baby yautja in Aya’s lap. It was a clever distraction. “They are here to help.”

The kid began examining her face and hair almost immediately, so Aya had to hold the weirdly cute baby. Seriously, how were mandibles cute? And  _ cute _ ? That was a funky ass word she had never imagined herself thinking of. At least she would never say it out loud.  The physicians watched the reaction, the two sides gauging each other until the lead male made a noise akin to clearing his throat, earning Aya’s attention. “Ooman, we need permission to touch you, and treat you.” At her narrowed eyes, he said, “If not for your health, then for the unborn’s.”

Shit. Breathing in and out slowly, she nodded, tensing when one of them inspected the translator chip in her head. 

“I will adjust this.”

The males she had lived with had said it was done in an emergency. Maybe they fucked up somehow? She wasn’t angry at that, just annoyed. “...Fine.”

They put something else on her head, and her hold on Ikthya-de tightened ever so slightly. When he began to squirm, she lessened her clutch on him, uttering soft words to calm him as she tried to stay as still as possible. It was over, and the physician bent down in front of her, raising a light to her eyes.

“Human-” Well,  _ that  _ was different. “Do you feel ill?”

“I have some leftover morning sickness,” she deadpanned. “But nothing new.”

She knew her voice had become colder, yet more neutral. There was no fear, but no warmth either. It let them know she was prepared to fight if need be. Than-guan only gave the healers certain expressions that Aya didn’t understand. All while holding the baby yautja, Aya tried being on her best behavior, glad to have something warm and a heartbeat to cling to. Slowly, she answered questions to the best of her ability, and tried to remain compliant.

Then, came the questions she feared more out of anything.

“The offspring’s pro-creator, did he have any medical concerns?”

She froze, but managed to get the words out of grit teeth. “He was an athlete, someone who had a large part of his livelihood dedicated to sports and physical prowess...I did not know him very well.”

Thank gods they didn’t ask too many further questions. They didn’t appear to judge her either. Hell, Than-guan seemed completely uninterested. Aya relaxed a little, deciding that if she made a big deal out of it, they’ll start to ask unnecessary, and unwanted, questions. The rest seemed normal...Ish? At least as normal as things were gonna get with how fucked up Aya’s life had become. 

Than-guan and the physicians knew more about human physiology than she had anticipated. She didn’t know if that made her feel more secure, or a bit more worried about what they planned on doing.

Then came the second most scary thing of all this, an actual physical. The last three times this happened, the first she was traumatized, the second she’d gone in and discovered she was pregnant, and the third was when all this shit happened. Yeah, doctor’s offices hadn’t been the best places lately. They had a fucked up way of changing her life.

Tentatively, she gave Ikthya-de back to his mother, trying to fight the urge to run. She was about to let these strangers, unfamiliar males, inspect her. Suddenly, she wished Bhu’ja was there. Even if she didn’t want him to look at her, all her scars and what happened to her, he was the one she felt safest around.  _ Damned Stockholm Syndrome.  _

“...I want Bhu’ja here,” she said slowly. “He’s sworn to keep me safe, and I don’t like the idea of being around unfamiliar males that can harm my baby at any time.”

They seemed surprised by that, but after a moment of chittering, Aya blinked at the sight of Bhu’ja so quickly by the door. His chest was heaving, and Aya had the impression that he had run upon hearing her request. Her fists clenched as she searched his gaze. Sighing with emotions she didn’t know she had, she informed him she was about to receive a physical, and felt it in their best interests that he was there to ensure her safety.

He didn’t argue, instead moving close before turning his back. The physician in front of him tensed, uttering something before gathering his tools. Aya’s nails scraped the metal underneath her fingertips, and it took all she had to muster to keep herself from attacking anyone that got too close for comfort. Or, at least it would have if Bhu’ja hadn’t started to make that weird purring noise. Him, and a few of the others in the room.

Gods, she hated this.

* * *

Aya had been eerily quiet throughout the process, visibly tense when it was done. Her fists were clenched to the point where her palms had started to bleed, the physicians giving him the ointment for her wounds.

“We’ve pushed her tolerance enough,” one explained. “She needs a familiar face, even if it’s yours. We’d rather not have a bloodbath in what should be a clean place.”

Bhu’ja tried not to be offended, instead placing some of the medication on his cleaned fingers, and showing her it. She looked at him with dull eyes, wary, but exhausted. “May I touch you?” At first she shook slightly before giving him her hands, his touch careful as he applied the medicine. Speaking softly, he asked, “What do you need?”

“...To punch something,” she said flatly.

“Unfortunately, I would not recommend that.” The head physician showed scans of her body on a screen, where there were multiple bones still healing, among other wounds. There were also images of her unborn, having grown in the short time Bhu’ja had spent around Aya. It was young, too young to see the gender, but from the notes it was healthy. That was good. “It’s a miracle that she hasn’t had a miscarriage from the physical stress she’s had. Exercise is good, near death experiences aren’t.”

“So, no hunting?” Some of the yautja narrowed their eyes at Aya in disbelief. She chuckled bitterly, “Poor attempt at a joke.”

“The health of your pup is no joke,” one of the physicians tried to lecture.

Than-guan stepped in. “Oomans may use humor to deflect stress. Even if it is odd or may appear careless, it’s not unhealthy.”

Aya blinked, clearly surprised at how the female leader of the clan was defending her choice. Bhu’ja was not surprised at all. At least the healer did not demur to the female’s expertise. Most of the medical information they had was from Than-guan from observing and communicating with the Elder’s ooman mate from centuries before. It was no secret that the two had been good friends. They had even raised their children side by side.

Than-guan moved next to Bhu’ja, not minding Aya’s tenseness. “Come. We will go to the females’ sanctuary.”

The ooman couldn’t help but glance at Bhu’ja once more. His eyes looked between her and the baby yautja attached to her hip, something darkening in his eyes. He nodded to her, letting her go. A part of her didn’t want to leave, or to leave him.

Most likely? It was because Bhu’ja was the only one she knew for a fact she would’ve been safe around, if only because honor and law dictated he should be that way.

* * *

Bhu’ja wasn’t sure what to think.

He’d been in a meeting with the Elder, making arrangements when he heard Aya was being seen by healers, and had wanted his presence. At first, a part of him feared she was birthing early, or that something had gone horribly wrong. What if she was about to fall into the endless sleep, never to wake again? What if someone had harmed her while he’d been away?

He remembered when she had fought the hard meats. She was wounded, scared, and bleeding, heavily. He saw Bakuub trying to heal her best he could, no one there sure that she would survive. He saw the bodies of the Bad Bloods, as he searched for any sign she was alive.

The hunter couldn’t recall the last time he had run so fast. He had moved even faster than when he had seen the fierce warrior battle the queen hard meat, faster than when they’d been attacked by Bad Bloods. He ended up panting at the entrance to the room, relief washing through him at the sight of Aya. She was pale, but otherwise unharmed.

She had explained the situation, sounding tired. A small part of him was annoyed that he had been pulled out of the meeting, but other, stronger emotions, made that part silent. Aya, the formidable  _ female _ , was reaching out to him. It wasn’t for mating, he knew that, but she still wanted him by her side when she had to make herself vulnerable. Trust did not come easily to her, but she wanted him to keep her safe.

Recalling what she found dishonorable, and the fact he had not received her permission to watch or see her in such a vulnerable state, he turned around. He saw syringes full of her blood being passed from physician to physician, heard their words of concern. He saw and felt their glares for making a female experience this at all.

When the healers were done, Bhu’ja healed her wounds to the best of his capabilities, honored that she was letting him do any of it considering all he’d done to her, all that happened to her because of him and the recklessness worthy of a foolish young blood. It was astounding that she wanted his presence at all. Then, there was the most damaging aspect of it all…

He saw the young one in her arms. She was pregnant, with a little one in her arms. She was gentle, a softness in her gaze that made something burn inside of him, the warmth spreading throughout. She blinked back in confusion and curiosity, clearly not imagining the same things he was.

So, he let her go, nodding to reassure them both that there would be a future to look forward to.

* * *

Aya didn’t let down her guard even if she was carrying a yautja ‘pup’. She was starting to get the feeling that Than-guan was having her carry Ikthya-de to ward off trouble. Aya doubted Than-guan knew just how bad her luck was when it came to socializing with  _ any _ species.

Eyes followed them, some more curious or pissed off than others. No one approached, but Aya didn’t miss how some instinctively hissed or growled, or muttered inaudible words under their breaths. So, Aya just stood tall, trying not to show any hint of fear.

She should’ve known that all those safeguards wouldn’t work.

It had been several minutes as they walked to what was to be some kind of sanctuary when she felt the fingers. They were touching her hair. Someone’s fingers were touching her hair, and it wasn’t the baby. Aya recalled how to yautja, the tendrils on their heads were sensorial organs. That meant, this asshole was  _ groping  _ her according to their culture.

Sighing, she glanced at Than-guan who looked ready to tell the guy off until she saw Aya’s expression. Without hesitation, Than-guan held out her arms, and Aya swiftly, but carefully tossed a squealing baby to his mother.

Her elbow jabbed into the guy’s stomach, causing him to wheeze. She turned around just in time for him to roar at her in fury, only for her fists to cause his mandibles to crunch, her roar louder than his. It caught him off guard, and she slashed one of her daggers across his chest, the blade also catching his fingers when he reached for her. Neon green blood flew into the air as she kicked him so that he was laying on his back. Next thing he knew, there was a knife to his throat.

And Aya? She smiled as sweetly as possible, her words clear and audible to all nearby, all witnesses to the act.

“Who gave you permission to touch me?”

He stared up at her, and Aya couldn’t bring herself to care anymore that others were watching too. Getting up, she huffed, getting up and sheathing her daggers, eyes narrowing at him. 

His eyes saw what her weapons were made of, his mandibles flaring in surprise as she said in a bored tone, “You’re not worth my time.”

Returning to Than-guan, she said nothing at the female’s silent approval, only glad when Ikthya-de was placed back in her arms. Should she be worried what kind of violence that the kid may have just witnessed? But, this  _ was _ a civilization of hunters, so who knew what he’d been exposed to already. And Than-guan didn’t mind, so Aya wouldn’t either.

Away from the crowds, Than-guan murmured, “You did well.”

“Maybe it’s not the same here, but in human psychology the first seven seconds of any encounter can define a first impression, and for us first impressions are the start of any relationship.”

She spoke as clinically as possible, trying to control her emotions. It was harder than it should have been sometimes.

“And what did you get out of this one?”

“Besides Bad Bloods, that one was the first dishonorable yautja I’ve met,” she spoke, refusing to back down. “In all honesty, I’m disappointed it happened so soon. It wasn’t unexpected, but disappointing nonetheless.”

Than-guan huffed, “Young bloods rarely know better. I suspect that the scars you’ve left him will teach him not to underestimate humans, especially females.”

Aya didn’t know how to feel about the yautja still hunting humans. They had an honor code, typically going after those who were fair game or Bad Bloods. She still remembered the staff from the medical facility though. They were likely defending themselves out of fear of both the kainde amedha and the yautja. Hell, she’d known a few of them. They gave her the first ultrasound she had of her baby. She never found their bodies, but it was still possible their skulls were collected.

“What first impression did I make?” Aya asked.

“Most have the impression that you’re dangerous, something unknown from what was observed from the images that were released. Others, likely including that young blood, believed them to be false, a fabrication to make you more appealing for when Bhu’ja brought you to the clan.”

What? Did they think of her as some kind of sex toy? Aya decided not to ask that, not wanting the answer. “And now?”

“Now I believe rumors will spread of the obviously one-sided fight,” Than-guan chuckled. “And that it will be difficult to hold many doubts of what you’re capable of should you or your young be crossed.”

Aya couldn’t bring herself to believe those words. “No offense intended, but if that was a young blood, then my skills will still be underestimated seeing as he is inexperienced compared to most of the clan.”

“True. I suppose, in time, you’ll prove them wrong.” Than-guan clicked to herself. “Besides, you should not hold back your thoughts or emotions. Secrets are dishonorable, and hiding your emotions is considered the equivalent of that.” Aya tried not to think of the past she didn’t want to share with these people. Perhaps it was a cultural thing, but some secrets were worth keeping. “Suppressing your anger means that you accept what was done, to let something fester inside of you, it makes you weak. Anger means that you will not submit, and that there is something worth fighting for.”

And that was the total opposite of what Aya had always been taught. It was a bit overwhelming to try to go against what everyone had told her before. She had to hold back, to pull. And now she was pushing. She wasn’t used to any of it, and felt ill-prepared. Fuck, she didn’t feel ready for any of this.

Arriving at the females’ quarters at long last, Aya allowed herself to inspect her surroundings, only to feel annoyed at how every single door was labeled with something she couldn’t read. Yep, she was illiterate. Oh gods,  _ how was she going to find the bathroom in this place? _

At least Than-guan was willing to give her a tour, which included finding the cleansing rooms (aka the bathrooms), and a small arena where the females could spar. For some reason, that room had the most weapons Aya had ever seen. Some of them, she didn’t know what the fuck they were but she was half tempted to try them out...Maybe after she gave birth though. That’d be kind of neat.

“And over here is where our pups begin to learn about society, and how to hunt.”

Aya hoped she wouldn’t have to attend. She was basically as clueless as them, if not more so. Fuck, the  _ babies _ could teach her stuff. This sucked.

There were babies, crawling on the walls. There were claw marks where they were crawling. Some were wrestling, and made roars akin to young [Simba](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arDKP-UWlYI) from [Lion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PygsFunfU1k) King. Aya’s lips twitched, but she was  _ not _ going to laugh. Actually, it was starting to become a little annoying from how many squeals and screeches there were. But she was _not_ going to discourage them since roars meant something to these people...Okay, still kind of cute and she'd never see the adults the same way again.

“So, a daycare?” Tan-guan looked confused, so Aya tried to elaborate. “It’s a place where either  _ pups _ or the sick or elderly can stay if their guardians or family can’t care for them in an all day situation. Kind of like babysitting er, watching?”

“...Even females need to spend time on their own without their offspring. It doesn’t make them less of mothers, it just means even they need time to themselves to rest or recuperate.”

Aya looked back at the young ones on the walls. Holy shit. “Yeah, I can see that.”

What did it say that these hunters were willing to give her better healthcare than those on Earth?

There was another female nearby, barking orders to the little ones, who were surprisingly obedient. The two stared at each other, the female yautja was wearing a mask and her head tilted to look at Aya’s lower abdomen.

“I...Have no experience with human pups.”

Pups, sucklings, didn’t anyone just call them babies here? Than-guan laid a hand, a  _ gigantic _ hand, on Aya’s shoulder. “I do. Or at least hybrids. Are you afraid of taking on such a task?”

The other female stood taller, puffing her chest. Did all yautja do that? Regardless of gender? Was it meant to make them look more intimidating? It just reminded Aya that these were basically giant cats with Cthulu faces...Complete with claws and purring. The pups, so to speak, certainly didn’t help with their attempts at roaring. Wait, what did  _ Aya  _ sound like when she roared?  The image of the desert rain frog returned to her mind.  [ _ Ferocious _ .  ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBxn56l9WcU)

“I fear nothing.”

From what Than-guan told Aya earlier, that didn’t make any sense.

“That’s weird, at least to me.” Both females looked at her, needing an explanation. Aya shrugged. “Fear is what warns us when there’s danger, it's instinct, a warning that something’s wrong. To deny fear is to deny how you feel, and everyone gets afraid sometimes. What matters is if you use it to your advantage, and face that fear so you can make the decisions that’ll help you succeed.”

More staring. Aya felt awkward. Thankfully the pups didn’t have translators in case she said something she shouldn’t. 

She might as well finish the thought. Aya tacked on, “I’m almost always afraid, but that hasn’t stopped me from growing, from hunting, from being the best I can be. In fact, I use it to get stronger. I evolve in my own way so I can face the things I'm afraid of, and overcome them.” Thinking of the things she never thought was possible for herself, and everyone she accomplished, she said, “Does it make me weak to accept that I’m afraid, and choose to do something about it?"

That last sentence was a true question. Aya needed to know more about what these guys regarded as weak, for herself and for the future. At the same time, speaking may not be the wisest thing to do. Damn it, it was one thing to push boundaries with the males, but the females? They were considered superior here. There was only so far being pregnant and a soon-to-be mother was going to get her.

“That is an interesting viewpoint.” Huh? Than-guan was giving her an admirable look. Or Aya hoped it was? Reading facial expressions was tricky here. “You have the spirit of a yautja, I think.”

Er, was that a compliment or not? The other female stepped forward, and Aya watched as the female slowly removed her mask, trilling. She clasped her hand on Aya’s shoulder. “I am Guan-thwei.”

Any relation to Than-guan? What does guan mean? Damn, she really, really needed to learn their language. Translators sucked. Aya carefully, but firmly mimicked Guan-thwei’s gesture, guessing it was some kind of greeting, like a handshake. “I am Aya.”

The yautja female nodded. “Now, tell me about human pups.”

Whelp, this was going to be a long conversation.

…

..

.

Upon hearing the news of what Aya did to a young blood, Bhu’ja knew that this ooman was going to give him a heart attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guan-twei: Night Blood
> 
> Note: Happy endings don't just happen. This story began with violence. It's not just going to be fluff and romance for the rest of it.
> 
> Did you think it would be that easy?


	18. Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that the characters here share names with comic book or novelization characters, but unless stated these are NOT the same individuals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will still be irregular due to stuff at him, but have some fluff.

Aya sat up, burying her face into the pillow as she screamed. She just kept herself there for a moment, trying to remember her surroundings before sitting up. She placed two fingers over the pulse on her throat, her breath shaky as she breathed in and out slowly, focusing on just those two things as she counted.

It took a few minutes. There were still a few tears running down her face, so she got up, relearning to walk again despite trembling and her sore feet. Right, she had sore feet, because they were swollen. Looking down at herself, it became easier to breathe as she laid a hand on her lower abdomen.

Fear, she was afraid. But fear could be used as a weapon. If she let this get the best of her, then someone else would be in control, not her.

“It’s not your fault,” she said, unsure which of the two she was speaking to anymore. Aya had to keep herself together, no matter how much she was falling apart. “It’s not your fault.”

Recalling where she was, and what she needed to do, Aya cleaned herself up best she could. She was about to start a battle with her nest of hair when there was a knock at the door. Standing up straighter, she looked out with the camera, seeing Guan-twei waiting outside. Opening the door, she greeted the female as had been taught.

“Are you well?”

Aya gestured to her hair, “Unfortunately, I’m still dealing with this.” Be casual, not too casual though. It was best to always be cautious, and these people were still unknown to her. “I’ll be ready for our sparring session soon.”

The female held up something that looked like an extra sturdy version of a comb. “From your mate.”

She blinked, slowly taking it. The handle was reminiscent of the daggers Bhu’ja had made for her. “I don’t have a mate.”

For some reason, the mention of a mate didn’t bother her so much as of late. Maybe the suggestions that a nurse from a while back was helping. “You have not been claimed by Bhu’ja?” Bhu’ja? “By any male?”

“Not sure I can, or should,” Aya admitted, knowing that her newfound guardian of sorts wouldn’t understand the depth of what she meant. “Mating isn’t at the top of my priorities right now.”

The female made a small nod while glancing at Aya’s growing belly, at least partially understanding what Aya’s priorities lay. She wasn’t a balloon like a lot of women were at this stage, but she was showing  _ something _ . It was okay though, the doctors on Earth had told her it was a normal thing...But she was also willing to guess that her living on an extraterrestrial ship and battling dinosaurs weren’t normal.

“Are you sure you want to spar?”

“Yep, I’m willing to bet that as soon as my baby’s born, I’m going to be attacked from all sides.”

Guan-twei shrugged. “Not at least til your offspring is old enough to fend for itself.” Yeah, that still wasn’t all that comforting. “By that time, you might find a mate, or become a proficient hunter. Both?”

Maybe there were still some old-fashioned concepts about marriage, er, mating here.Aya twirled the makeshift brush in hand, recalling how she once tried to mimic Bakuub twirling a spear. Pursing her lips she tried not to be annoyed at the possibility of smacking herself in the head, again. “Is it always going to be about mating around here?”

“And hunting.”

Right, because that’s all civilization summarized to the most basic structure. “If that’s all there is, how do you even have all of this?” She gestured to the window that allowed them to view the vacuum of space, the cameras, and more. This place, this technology? Most of the scifi Aya knew didn’t match up to it. “There’s got to be technicians or somebody who maintains this place.”

Guan-twei made a face akin to a smirk. Shit. Aya really, really loathed that expression. It always meant someone was up to something nefarious. “I know what your lesson for today is. First though, clean up your...Hair.”

The female left, and Aya examined the brush, realizing that the texture reminded her of ivory. This was hand-carved, and likely from prey of some kind. Hesitant, she ran it through the ends of her mane, working up to her scalp. There was something comforting about it. It reminded Aya of how her mother used to teach Aya how to braid her own hair.

If only for a moment, she didn’t feel so on edge.

* * *

“You gave her a fang of the-?”

Bhu’ja held up his hand to shush his brother. “I made her a tool that would help her livelihood. She likes useful things, and she displayed interest in the ‘acromantula’, as she called it.”

It was one of the few things that she found impressive about him as a hunter. She marveled about it with a pup’s curiosity and thrill. She had certainly enjoyed it more than he had. The fangs had pierced his armor and skin, and there had been concern of poisoning, but his blood was strong, filled with the strength and nature of his forebears...Which meant he experienced similar reactions to it as he did, C'ntlip, the equivalent of ooman alcohol, complete with headaches hours later.

Examining his gift, he didn’t think he’d share that particular tale with Aya. Besides, hunting it may have been an experience, but this was more beneficial, useful. He could always get another.

“Brother, you gave her one of your trophies, at least a piece of one,” Bakuub whispered, smacking his brother’s arm. “What are your intentions?”

In yautja society, one both presented trophies to show their worth as hunters, and in some cases, to woo a mate, gave them said trophies. It was not only a show of skill, but a promise to protect and provide their mate. The hunter grimaced as he continued his work, crafting another tool for Aya to use. 

“To regain some of my honor, or at least make it so she doesn’t feel so threatened here.”

The ooman was already stressed. Courting of any kind would not aid in her or her pup’s health. She needed to adapt to her surroundings, to this life. Maybe, in time, he might consider  _ something _ , but courtship wasn’t a priority for either.

“By giving her something that can be considered part of courtship by  _ both  _ species?”

That caught Bhu’ja off guard. He had just thought of making something useful, something she might like even if she wasn’t impressed. “What do you mean? Kata’nu explained that ooman hair is the same material as their claws. It’s lifeless.”

It made him feel pathetic that he was gathering information on oomans and their cultures from Kata’nu, but Aya was more willing to partake in giving information and communicating to younger generations, even the pups who couldn’t possibly understand her.

**_Aya, as a life mate? The images in his mind came far too easily, more easily than they should have. He had already seen her in their armor, he had seen her hunting, and could see her take down her enemies with ease should she wish. He could imagine them hunting fierce prey together, their opponents less than dust in their wake. He could imagine her on the ship, maybe all too wary of her surroundings at first, but growing accustomed. He could see her as a mother to oomans and yautja alike. They were going to love her._ **

Bhu’ja nearly sliced his own hand as the unbidden thought came to mind. He shouldn’t allow himself from being distracted, not when there was so much at stake. That didn’t stop Bakuub from saying, “When oomans groom one another, it’s intimate. And according to some ooman cultures, what you just did is a proposal to be life mates.”

“...What?” Horror continued to fill him at the implications of what he did. What if his actions harmed her again? What if she felt afraid of him? What if-? “That is NOT what I meant to do!”

“What isn’t what you meant?”

Both males turned to see Aya with Guan-twei, the ooman’s hair nicely groomed and bound. Bhu’ja looked at Guan-twei as his body tensed. The female shook her head, giving Bhu’ja some sense of relief.

“What did you think of your gift?” Bakuub asked, trying to change the subject.

Aya smiled at Bhu’ja, “It’s nice. You’re good at crafting things.”

Bhu’ja stared, “You could tell I made it?”

She took out one of the daggers he made for her. “They’re very similar in design. You have a bit of an artist in you.” Was that a compliment, or not? Remembering how she liked ‘animation’ and drawings, he decided he’d take it as a strange form of a compliment. She frowned, “I have to ask, uh, do you know what it means to give a female a comb, or something similar to this?”

C'jit. He was hoping that she was from a part of Earth that didn’t enact that tradition. Oomans were strange with their many cultures and groups of people. He wondered which ones Aya was from, and how they affected her. What did she celebrate? What caused her to grieve? Was there a god or gods that she believed in? What were the foods of her people? What was-?

“He just found out,” Bakuub said. Bhu’ja felt something die inside. “He had no intentions of courting you or proposing.”

Bhu’ja didn’t know if he should feel insulted, or relieved, that she relaxed a bit. “Oh, okay. Still, thank you. Managing all of this-” she gestured to her hair, “hasn’t been easy.”

She was thanking him. Aya, the ooman that was ready to slaughter them days ago, was thanking him. The dread and inner dying lessened, warming into something softer. “Where are you going?”

Guan-twei folded her arms, “We’re visiting the Worker Caste.”

There were two primary castes in yautja society, the Warrior Caste and the Worker Caste. Each had their ranks and set of skills. The Worker Caste built ships and buildings, organized technological advancements, crafted weapons, and more. The Warrior Caste was not only their people’s hunters, but the leaders and the ones who enforced the laws of their people. All had roles to fulfill.

“Why?”

Aya winced, “I want to see what they’re like. I was curious about who makes the technology and supplies.” She was speaking a half truth. “And, I want to learn more about the ones who don’t need to fight for rank or a position.”

Her hand was on her lower abdomen as she spoke. Bhu’ja honestly had not considered the option where she didn’t have to hunt or fight. It was all he’d ever known. Sometimes he forgot that the Worker Clan existed. “Aya-”

“I know I wouldn’t be much good. I’ve no experience with your kind of technology or can make weapons, or build. I just want to see what that kind of life is like even if I can’t join it.”

There was some truth in that. She knew she wouldn’t be accepted by them, by any group among the yautja. But she was trying her best to find a place so that she and her pup would not only survive, but thrive in spite of everything. She truly had a warrior’s spirit.

“...May I join you? It has been some time since I have been there.”

She brightened, and Bhu’ja mentally ignored the sly look both his brother and Guan-twei made. Aya accepted, and soon, a group of four went to explore the Worker Castes’ part of the ship. Aya was particularly interested in how weapons were made, surprised by how more accepting the yautja there were. She was careful with questions, always waiting for the crafters to finish speaking. 

At one point, a worker commented on the recordings where they saw her makeshift weaponry, and Bhu’ja tilted his head at how her pallor darkened. Usually he saw such darkness from when oomans overexerted themselves, when they pushed their physical limits. This was something else. “Wow, did everyone see what I did?”

The worker laughed. “Yes, we did. It’s not everyday that a queen kainde amedha is hunted successfully, but by a ooman? That is almost unheard of. How did you contain the kainde amedha’s blood?”

Bhu’ja stayed off on the side, glad to see Aya being able to interact with his species without being in harm’s way. Even better? She was enjoying herself, explaining her thoughts, her ideas, and Bhu’ja listened to every word even if he didn’t understand everything she said. At some point, a deal was brokered for Aya to assist in adapting the translators more easily to ooman speech. All that would need to be done was for someone to help her better know the yautja language, at least until her pregnancy was over. Oomans and yautja alike needed stimulation.

“I will teach her,” Bhu’ja said. “She is my pupil.”

He didn’t know what to make of the expression she bore as she agreed. He knew he liked it though.

Her stomach made a noise, and he chuckled, “Let us get you something to eat.”

* * *

“Bhu’ja, are you sure this is a good idea?”

He walked on one side with the ooman, Bakuub on the other, and a Guan-twei at her back. No one wanted a repeat of how Aya had been groped earlier, or anything else close to a fight. He was starting to have little doubts in her abilities, but he also remembered one of their first sparring sessions where she’d been affected by her pregnancy. Now that the pup was more developed, she would begin having even more symptoms that would make being in a fight more difficult.

It was Aya who spoke instead of him, her brows furrowed. “I can’t just hide for the rest of my life. If I don’t make some kind of stand now, and try it later? It won’t mean much.”

Despite her reckless behavior at times, there was a wisdom behind it. Or at least some reason that was understandable.

He clasped a hand on Aya’s shoulder, furrowing his eyebrows at how warm she was becoming. She had mentioned having a raise in temperature from more blood flow. It was something they were continuing to monitor, especially with her weakening immune system...Maybe he shouldn’t have brought her out into the dining rooms. Who knew what she could catch here.

Walking to his bloodline’s table, he kept Aya close by, Guan-twei across from her, and both males continued to sit next to her. After ensuring no one was immediately going to approach, he asked both females what they wanted to eat, reluctantly getting up to fetch them their meals. Guan-twei kept Aya distracted, Bakuub keeping guard.

As he prepared dishes, an elite called Skemte who held great influence with the Elders. A huffed growl erupted from him as he glared in Aya’s direction. “Prey living among us. Why do you insist on contaminating our blood, warrior?”

The yauta’s fists were opening and closing, as if he wanted to attack Bhu’ja’s ooman. “I am honor-bound to her, and for anyone to attack her is to dishonor themselves.”

The elite scowled, about to protest when Bhu’ja tapped on the mask on his waist. Narrowing his eyes even further, the elite placed it on. It was obvious that as he scanned the ooman, his eyes were ready to pop out of his skull. “You mated with it?”

“Mo,” Bhu’ja said flatly. “But, her life and the young one were endangered through my actions, and may still be at risk.” 

**_Should she die, it would be his fault. He and the others had seen what she was capable of. She was a true huntress at heart, and had undeniable strength and intelligence. She would have survived this, if not for the injuries she received both from him, and protecting him._ **

**_It would be his fault such a magnificent being was lost. It would be his fault her offspring, who would no doubt be as amazing as her, was lost. It was his fault he failed his fellow hunters, and himself. If he hadn't gotten caught up in the hunt..._ **

Phrasing his words with great thought, he added, “Too much stress, and it can harm both. If that happens, I won’t be the only one honor-bound to her.” The elders had confirmed that, some more reluctant than others, stuck in the old ways. The elite tensed, clearly not liking that idea. Thus, to satisfy anyone who was against her, Bhu’ja said, “If anyone wants to challenge her, they will challenge me in her stead.”

He still needed to locate the young blood who offended Aya. Now that male was honor-bound to her as well. Bhu’ja had a feeling the male wasn’t going to like that.

“Even if it’s a female?”

“Even then,” Bhu’ja uttered, knowing how easily he could be injured by one. No matter how large he was, yautja females were always larger and capable of greater damage. “However, remember that the pup’s life not only depends on me, but by how much stress the mother experiences. If something happens to me, are you or any others prepared to take that risk?”

Skemte walked away, likely going to spread the word on the repercussions of attempting any kind of retaliation or harm to the ooman. “You disgust me.”

**_I will not harm you."_ ** ****

**_Not wanting to frighten her more, he released her hands cautiously, and they instinctively went to guard her lower abdomen, her breathing shaky at best. He pressed a few more buttons on the mask as they entered the ship, halting when, half-awake at best, she pleaded, growling, "D-Don't, don't hurt, my...My baby."_ **

Bhu’ja would not argue against that part, not when he felt the same.

* * *

Aya watched as an extremely tall yautja spoke to Bhu’ja. She caught the way the male glared at her, and she looked back with just as much venom, her hands starting to reach for her daggers in preparation for a fight.

“That’s an elite,” Bakuub stated warily. “I suggest you stop preparing to fight him.”

“I’m not preparing to fight unless he decides to attack, or otherwise acts dishonorably.”

For some reason, the male reared his head back. He had removed his mask, but only tensed further when Aya’s eyes widened in surprise, her hand automatically moving to her lower abdomen while she inhaled sharply, wincing. Bakuub and Guan-twei asked what was wrong while she processed what happened.

“They, they kicked,” she breathed in wonder. She still felt the elite’s gaze on her, but she didn’t care as she felt another movement. She didn’t care that he wasn’t glaring at her anymore. Only one thought started to consume her, and she couldn’t stop the smile that came. “They kicked.”

It may have been too early to learn the gender, but her baby was old enough, developing enough to kick her. Bhu’ja approached, concern in his features. “Aya?”

“They kicked,” she repeated, making a small wheeze of a laugh. It felt like that was the only thing she wanted to say, if only to reassure herself. “They’re alive, really alive. Not just a heartbeat.”

And for Aya, it was a sign of hope, something she hadn’t wanted to believe in for so long. Unable to stop smiling, she looked up to see Bhu’ja grinning too, Guan-twei proud, and Bakuub nodding his head. “Then you should eat, little one.They must be agitated at not getting a proper meal.”

It was enough to wake her from her reverie, enough to make her start gobbling down food.

* * *

There was another visit to the medic’s hold, Bhu’ja close by in case Aya wanted him for any reason. This time instead of the possibility of blood being shed, the ooman was much more open, and even  _ giggled _ every once in a while. It was such a change that Bhu’ja nearly laughed at how nervous her happiness made the healers there.

“I think she’s broken,” Kata’nu, who wanted to visit his ‘favorite ooman’, said.

“She’s pregnant, not broken,” Bhu’ja replied. 

Both males had their backs turned, not looking unless Aya wanted them to. “I’ve never seen her smile so much, so  _ happy _ . It’s disturbing.”

Bhu’ja didn’t comment on that. “Did you locate the male that tried to harm her?”

“Yes. He has scars from the lesson Aya dealt.”

The elder male inclined his head, taking out a missive that the leaders of their clan had written. “Inform him that unless he wants to be a Bad Blood, to regain his honor he is to ensure her safety, and the safety of her young.” All knew the gravest offense in hunting and otherwise was to harm a mother and her young. It was something taught at a young age. Young Bloods were still held responsible for their actions, even if they were still learning. That, and she was under Bhu’ja’s protection and by extension, the clan’s protection. Harm her, and there was going to be repercussions. “Unless he directly needs to intervene, he will not interact with her. No undue stress is to affect her.”

The healers may have declared that some amount of stress, the kind found in ‘everyday’ or ‘normal’ matters would not harm her, but trauma and near-death experiences were another matter. 

Bhu’ja had already failed her, multiple times. He had no intentions of doing so again.

* * *

The healers were making Aya carry around a flask of water on her at all times. She needed to keep herself hydrated to better balance the fluid intake for her and her unborn. With that and more instructions regarding nutrition and food consumption, she briefly wondered if someone could be nagged to death.

Bhu’ja waited for her outside, Guan-twei needing to return to the female’s quarters. It was understandable, seeing that the female yautja couldn’t act as a babysitter all of the time. Bhu’ja was the one supposed to make sure Aya was okay, more so in the main areas of the clan’s ship than the females’.

His eyes wandered up and down her form, searching for any problems. “You haven’t stopped smiling.”

She tried to. She honestly tried to. “Sorry, I just, I haven’t felt like this in a long time.”

Bhu’ja grimaced, “Do not apologize for being happy, Aya. Never apologize for that.” From his tone, it sounded as if he was speaking to a student rather than an equal. It was still respectful, but also a soft lecture. “We shall begin your lessons in my language.”

She was going to learn the yautja language? Well, now she really couldn’t stop grinning. Damn, were her hormones affecting her? She must look like a maniac. No wonder the healers were so tense. It took focus, but she managed to regain a more serious face. “Where?”

He took her to some kind of garden area, where all kinds of plants Aya had never seen before resided. The air was also more oxygenated there, and she let herself remove the mask. She had taken it off shortly for eating and in the physicians’ office, but always wore it in halls or areas she needed to. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask, does my air harm you? Earth air?”

He considered her question. “We can breath it for an extended amount of time, but only for a few days if need be.”

Their species really were different, weren’t they? It made her wonder how humans and yautja could possibly have offspring, how Bhu’ja’s grandfather had children with one. Bhu’ja wasn’t one of that female’s descendants, but he had relatives who were, and they were ‘great hunters’, some of the best the clan had. Or that just might have been the old guy bragging. Yautja tended to do that a lot.

“I’m going to turn off your translator.” Wait, what? “I shall teach you in the ways that your people learned to communicate with us.”

“...You mean thousands of years ago?” she deadpanned. At his nefarious smirk, she frowned, “Is this payback for the times I beat your ass while sparring?”

“You did not  _ beat my ass _ ,” he huffed. “And this is to better prepare you in events you are unable to use a translator. If you know it, not just memorize, you will be better prepared.” At her look, he said, “And I am your teacher. You will not question my methods.”

Oh, she was going to kick his ass,  _ hard _ . Just not now though because she did want to learn  _ something _ . “Fine, but before you do that...What’s the word for bathroom? I’ve needed to ask others more than a few times.” He blinked. “My bladder gets squished by the baby, which means I have to relieve myself more.”

Again, shame was out the window at this point. At least he wasn’t annoyed by it when he provided the word, having her practice it several times. When he turned off the translator, it was a bit of a struggle at first. He gestured to multiple things in the garden, to pieces of clothing and armor on himself, and even to those dreadlock-like things on his head. At this point, she was just going to call those dreadlocks.

She provided the equivalent in her language for confirmation before mimicking his words. It was hard to copy the extra clicking noises, but Aya knew it was possible from different languages around the world. In some ways, he was learning from her just as she was learning from him. ‘Ooman’ words weren’t always easy for the yautja to speak or understand, which is why translators were used so much if they ever needed to interact with her species on some level.

He said a few words at some point that she didn’t get while gesturing to her, but unlike some others he didn’t pressure her into saying them. In fact, he was a bit quiet when he said them for some reason. “A'ket'anu.”

“Ahk-it-ahn-oo?” she tried. He still gestured to her. What the fuck was he trying to describe her as? Suddenly, she couldn’t contain a yawn. “Shit, sorry. I-”

“C’jit.”

“Are you trying to teach me yautja curse words?” A grin. She sighed, “Now I’m really concerned as to what you’ve been calling me.”

He turned the translator back on. “Nothing offensive. Just fact.”

She was half tempted to ask one of the others what he was saying about her, but figured that she was only supposed to learn from Bhu’ja. That, and she’d likely botch up the word, mispronounce it so badly that it would just become nonsensical. “Uh huh.”

“Yautja do not lie.”

“Everyone lies and keeps secrets at some point in their life,” she said. “And just so you know, denying it is futile.” Aya started getting up, only to sway a little. Bhu’ja helped to steady her. “Crap, sorry, just a bit dizzy.” 

She winced. Her feet were getting more sore each day. It wasn’t to the point of being painful, just exhausting and irritating. With the exception of the foot hair, Aya wondered if this was what it was like to be a hobbit, being nearly half the size of everyone else, needing a lot of food, attracting trouble, and in general, having huge feet.

“May I carry you?” The fuck? “You are tired, are you not?”

What was he up to? “You know that I’m trying not to be thought of as weak, right? Being carried isn’t going to help that image.”

It was also really fucking weird. Would he carry her like a sack of potatoes? Regrettably, she took another couple of steps, only to feel a bit woozy. Damn it, her eyelids were trying to close on her. Bhu’ja placed her mask on her face, purring to calm her. She hated when they did that.

“Aya, may I?”

“...I’m gonna regret this later, but fuck it. Uh, what do I do?”

She squeaked when he placed a hand at her back, and the other arm wrapped around the back of her knees, both supporting her. Instinctively, she tried to grab onto something, her heart pounding as she saw how distant she was from the ground below. Fucking hell, why were these people so bloody fucking tall?

Aya decided she was going to punch Bhu’ja later for chuckling at her. She was just too tired to do it right now. “You can rest. I won’t drop you, and it will take a while to reach your quarters.”

He, Bhu'ja, was going to carry her to her new home. He, a male that was supposed to protect her, was going to bring her home. Or at least he was supposed to. She couldn’t stop the nightmare, the memories, to come back. The last time she, that so many, trusted a male she knew to do that, it didn’t end well.

But, Bhu’ja was sworn, honor-bound, to protect her and her child. Not only that, but he tried to protect her, he went to her side when she needed him, he listened…

Her grip tightening, she swallowed and uttered a small, “Okay.”

Focusing on calming herself, controlling her breathing, she rested her head on Bhu’ja’s chest. He inhaled sharply, but then began purring to better lull her into sleep, her grip loosening.

* * *

There were more than a few double takes at the sight of Bhu’ja carrying Aya through the halls, but it was obvious from how she was breathing and limp that something was going on. He didn’t care to inform them that she was resting.

Halfway down the halls, Kata’nu appeared with another young blood. The young blood in question, was stiff, and clearly anxious. Good. “Is she  _ dead _ ? Did I kill her?”

Bhu’ja considered letting the young blood panic over the possibility of being banished or labeled as a Bad Blood. It would be pleasant to watch him squirm. At the same time, he was a teacher, and this was meant to be a lesson. “She is tired, her body forcing her to rest to preserve energy for her and her pup. Undue stress can cause her to sleep against her will, and can leave her defenseless now that she can’t fight. Or, at least she  _ shouldn’t _ .”

The teacher narrowed his eyes at the student, the young blood frowning. “It is no excuse, but it was not my intention to harm her. I had never seen ooman ‘hair’ before. I wanted to know what it felt like. I didn't even know she was female.”

“You know not to touch our sensorial organs, Mahnde. Even if oomans are somewhat different, that does not justify your actions...Their hair  _ does _ hold meaning.”

The young blood nodded. “I will protect her.”

It was a promise, an oath. At least Bhu’ja wasn’t the only one guarding her now. A few others such as Bakuub, Kata’nu, and the two females he had reached out to were willing, but it wasn’t the same as being honor-bound. The yautja may not be able to harm her, but that didn’t mean they had to help her either.

Carrying her back to her quarters, he quietly greeted Guan-twei and Than-guan, who permitted him to take Aya to her room. There, she grunted when he tried to depart from her, shivering. Bakuub mentioned that there was danger from overheating, but it was also distressing for both of them should she remain uncomfortable from cold.Sighing, he asked the females if he could remain with her, explaining Aya had him sleep beside her once when they traveled.

Understandably, they warned him against attempting certain actions. He agreed, and lay down beside Aya, who unconsciously clung to him, her breathing easing. Bhu’ja purred, hoping it would enable a more restful slumber. Carefully, his thumb ran from her cheekbone to the dark circles under her eyes, a sign of exhaustion.

He would need to find another way to make this easier for her. He had to.

* * *

Aya woke up, still tired, but feeling safe, and warm. There was warmth surrounding her, a pulse at her back. Yet, she didn’t panic. There were mandibles in her hair, and purring kept her calm. She knew this touch, the chest against her.

Technically, they had shared the same bed before. She remembered waking up a night while they were traveling to see him in the same bed, flushing in embarrassment of how she basically held him hostage in her semi-conscious state. She also recalled her mind making her say something akin to ‘snuggles’. The memories were a bit blurry, but substantially better than the ones she didn’t want to remember.

She didn’t doubt she did something similar to cause this to happen in her half-awake state. Before though, Aya didn’t think he fell asleep with her. Not wanting to leave the warmth, she let herself be selfish and stay in his arms, if only to get better sleep than she had in months.

...Damned  _ Stockholm Syndrome. _

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A'ket'anu: Beautiful


	19. Strippers and Fruit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Aya does have a form of PTSD and there are flashbacks and scenes that reference it. Such scenes occur in this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, a lot of my stories include the original lore and headcanons, so it's not going to be totally accurate.

Shoes, Bhu’ja had made her shoes. Sure, the shoes  _ looked _ like they belonged to Sparta or someplace equally tough, but they were weirdly comfy. Seriously, they were better than Dr. Scholl’s...Which really didn’t make that much sense considering how different yautja footwear was. If she had to describe that stuff, she’d say they were armored, bottomless sandals. Yeah, they were that weird. So how Bhu’ja made her shoes was definitely a bit of a mystery.

With her less achy feet, Aya found herself better able to maneuver around, tiring out less easily. She was even able to spar with the female yautja more, and not just Than-guan or Guan-twei. Most of the females around there were still wary of her, tolerated her, or just ignored her. There were glares, but it seemed most tended to come from the male portion of the ship, which didn’t make much sense in retrospect.

She was currently sparring with one of the newest mothers on the ship, who’d been encouraged to keep up physical activities like sparring, being told it would help. The female didn’t elaborate how it would help, but Aya felt tense, really tense, and sparring made things just a bit easier so long as nothing was taken too seriously. Guan-twei monitored the sparring sessions whenever Aya was with another yautja, and thankfully hadn’t needed to intervene yet...Save for a bloody nose where Aya had to explain it was supposed to be part of a normal thing and not her brains bleeding out.

Yep, that’d been awkward.

Panting, Aya made the general sign to pause sparring, the other female’s chest inhaling and exhaling as much as Aya’s did. Both grabbed some water and the female clasped Aya’s shoulder, Aya learning to do the same since it was part of a greeting or acknowledgement ritual of sorts. This was their version of a handshake.

“You fight well, human.” 

Even with the translator working, Aya could still swear that she heard ‘ooman’ sometimes. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“You as well,” Aya said, both lowering their arms. “I knew that the males I encountered always held back. We still both do right now out of concern for our pups, but you’re willing to challenge me more. It’s refreshing.”

She nodded, “I must leave now. Shall we spar tomorrow?”

Aya grinned, “I would appreciate that.”

As the female left, Guan-twi moved to Aya’s side. “You’re getting better.” Aya didn’t know if she was referring to sparring, or how she was starting to acclimate to this all, pregnancy or not. “Are you tired?”

“Only a little,” Aya admitted. “I’m mostly hungry though, and a bit sore.”

“Sore?”

Damn, it was funky for people to think about her health so much. Maybe it was just for the baby, and because of their honor code, but Aya couldn’t help but feel...Like they might care. Nope, she wasn’t going there. Fuck, Stolkholm Syndrome could go take a hike.

Taking another sip of water, she explained, “Lower back. I read somewhere that at first it’s likely from an increase in hormones and stress, and later on the added weight of the baby, pup, itself. It’s supposed to be normal.”

“It doesn’t appear to trouble you too much?”

Jeeze, how to explain this? “Right now, it’s more uncomfortable than painful, kind of like something constantly nagging at you or pulling on a muscle. When it does hurt, it’s similar to how you might feel while having a period.”

“...What’s a period?”

Shit, Aya had forgotten how pissed off she was when she heard how different human and yautja cycles were.

“It’s our fertility cycle,” Aya sighed. 

Reaching for the sketchpad Bhu’ja had gotten her, she began drawing body parts and organs to the best of her ability, focusing on a skill she had almost given up on years before. In her eyes, it was a bit mediocre compared to what she was once able to do, but it was still a fairly accurate diagram. As she explained it, she tried not to inwardly panic at sensing so many yautja, females and pups alike, coming over to listen as she spoke.

One pup, a very young one, tried to take her writing utensil and some of the paper. Knowing how heartbreaking it was to be denied the chance to draw, she took out an extra writing tool for the kid, and gave him a spare sheet of whatever the paper-like material was. They began making a lot of doodles and loops on their page, still watching her with determination.

“...And some females’ periods can last for a few days, while others last a week.”

“How long did yours last?”

Right, past tense. “Mine was on the short side, three days at most?” Wincing, she said, “It usually hit hardest on the first day. When I was a young blood, there were days where I had to fight my body to make myself move. I needed to though, because no matter how much it hurt or my body tried to make me stop, I had a life to live.” Recalling her past, she was really starting to understand how many unhealthy decisions she made. “I’ve learned as I grew that while it’s good to push yourself, that when I did that I was doing more harm than good to myself.”

There were days she broke out sweating, clammy, and some cramps hurt worse than her muscles after a triathlon. She heard from someone that kind of experience wasn’t supposed to happen to athletes, that they were fitter and less likely to have those problems. Well, guess what? Everyone’s period was different.

The pup perked up, lifting their paper to show her. She smiled, glad to be distracted momentarily. “That looks nice.” Glancing to where she knew where the mother was, she asked, “Is it okay to draw some more?”

Both parent and pup, one more enthusiastically than the other, consented. Aya soon had entire papers full of doodles, some more colorful and arguably artistic than others. The kid tuckered himself out, and Aya collected the papers, offering them to the female. The mother took all but one. “He gave this to you to show off his ‘trophy’.” Huh? “Keep it.”

Blinking as the female left, Aya looked at the scribbles. Thinking about her potential future, Aya found herself sighing as she returned to her room, pinning the sketch to one of the walls. briefly returning to her room to pin it to one of the walls. When her baby was born, would Aya be able to collect even more of these kinds of things? They seemed trivial at first glance, but, in a weird way, this would be a better trophy room than one full of bodies. This kind of room would be full of life, and hope.

She started to smile, only for it to fade when someone spoke.

“You’re good with pups.”

It was Than-guan. She was leaning against the wall, arms folded. Aya shrugged, “I never really interacted with babies that much before, even when I was the same age. I’m just, I’m trying to remember what it was like to be a kid, and how things could be hard at an age where you’re still learning what the hell is going on.” 

She stared at the drawing for a moment longer, frowning. Was she going to be a good mother? Was she doing the right thing? Would she ever be better? Could she ever become strong enough for the two of them?

“You doubt your abilities as a child-bearer?”

Why did  _ she _ sound offended? “Why wouldn’t I? I’ve never had a pup before. This is all new to me.” Her hand moved to her lower abdomen as she spoke, trying to feel for the little life inside of her. “Instead of following a specific path, I guess I’ll try to make my own.”

She hoped it would work. It had to. She needed to make it work.

The female yautja was furious for some reason, but attempted to calm down. “Ooman, follow your instincts, what your body tells you, and the words of those who understand what it means to hold life in their hands.”

Aya had heard some paraphrases of that before back on Earth, but completely following instincts? She guessed that made some sense in a hunter’s perspective. “Um, okay? But why are you mad? What’d I fuck up  _ now _ ?”

Shit, she should not be so brazen. Fucking hormones fucking with her head. Thankfully, Than-guan didn’t give a shit, for now.

“Yautja do not allow doubts to cloud our judgement. We act.” 

Well, humans tended to doubt everything. That was a part of their instinct. It was part of what kept them alive. It wasn’t going to be a smart idea to point that out though, was it? She doubted it was.  _ See _ ? Doubt kept you alive. 

“We yautja pride ourselves on our accomplishments, we take pride in our strengths, but you always question your strengths. It’s aggravating, disappointing.”

Disappointment was something excelled at. Aya kind of had the urge to fight more often than usual, but this was not one she wanted to make. She needed more allies than enemies, and…

Arguing was rarely a good thing.

**_“Aya is out of control, Evander. If we don’t control her, then who knows what she’ll do.”_ **

**_“She’s not an animal, Kim. She’s a kid.”_ **

**_“That’s no excuse for this behavior!”_ **

**_A young Aya clenched her fists as she sat on the stairs, listening to them. Why was it whenever she tried to speak or tell others how she felt, what was wrong, she was being spiteful or looking for a fight? She just wanted to tell them what was wrong, but they never listened, they never did. Or at least she didn’t say it in a way they could understand._ **

**_They were yelling so loudly. It didn’t matter how she tried to block them out._ **

**_Was this all her fault? It had to be. How does she tell them that some things were just too much and made her want to run or hit things? It was like something was attacking her, but not? It was all so loud and confusing. It was too much._ **

**_There was a clap of flesh on flesh, and Aya touched her own cheek, the burn from earlier still there. Aya placed her other hand over her mouth, eyes watering, only making the stinging hurt more._ **

**_It was all her fault._ **

If only to satiate the yautja, she said, “I won’t make any promises I can’t keep, Than-guan, but I will  _ try _ to see the parts of me you say are there. After all, I shouldn’t have a reason to doubt you, right?”

The female grumbled something, somewhat approving. Aya hadn’t lied, but she sincerely doubted they’d ever share the same views, especially when it came to her.

...She needed to blow off some steam.

* * *

Bhu’ja watched as Aya ran around the racing track portion of the training course. It was typically for young bloods, but it wasn’t unusual to see older warriors or pregnant females using it to their benefit.

She was smiling, he could tell by how her eyes crinkled through the mask, as she outpaced Kata’nu. The smile didn’t seem directed at the young blood, but more at how she was able to move. It was a youthful look, one full of life. She was happy, and her happiness warmed him.

“Isn’t that dangerous for a pregnant ooman?”

He tried not to glare over his shoulder at whoever was speaking of Aya. Even the physicians confirmed that since Aya was physically active more than most oomans, that she could not only continue some of her activities, but it was recommended so as not to stifle her or the unborn. It was apparently even healthy. There would be obstacles due to the symptoms of her pregnancy, but that didn’t need to stop her from doing what she wanted, even if there were adjustments to be made.

It was surprising, at first, just how excited she’d been when she’d seen the footwear he made her. Her eyes had watered, and she excused it as ‘hormones’. Yautja females experienced something similar, but tended to be more dangerous since  _ everything  _ was amplified whereas this ooman was more emotional during certain periods of time. She still had her moments of wrath and anger, but he enjoyed being more accustomed to her smile, unusual as it was to his species. There were times where he could’ve sworn she was  _ glowing _ from the unexpected joy.

Seeing her eyes through the mask, he realized just how much running made Aya practically euphoric. He was understanding why she’d reacted the way she had to the most recent gift.

Ignoring the ones speaking, he approached as Aya finished her race against the young blood. She was victorious, if only barely. It was still impressive for a ooman. He wondered what her life was like before, what she did to be the way she was.

“Hello Bhu’ja.”

“Aya,” he greeted and placed a hand on her shoulder. She did the same to him, but it was a bit harder on her part considering how tiny she was in comparison. The yautja she spent time with understood when she had to place her hand on their upper arms instead. It was amusing when she informed them that she was ‘fun sized’. “Are you well?”

“I’m good,” she said, drinking more fluids. Her water had to be filtered a certain way due to their biological differences. Some oomans could become used to it over time, adapting, but since she was pregnant there were more precautions taken than there would have been in a different situation. “And you?”

“...’Good’,” he repeated.

She let go of him first, his hand lingering briefly before returning to his side. She was warm, but not too warm. Good. She needed more sunlight though, and he escorted her to the garden area where she could get the light she needed, and where they could continue her lessons. It was a place rarely used by others as well as there was little use in it for hunting. It was because of that there was less likelihood of someone trying to harm her in that location.

He had brought her ‘snacks’ this time. She needed to consume more nutrients, and in an environment she felt safer in. Even if things had ended better than anticipated, the dining area was too much of a risk for her. Bhu’ja watched her mouth move, trying to understand it. Normally he just hunted oomans, not really caring or thinking too much on how they worked. This was a rare opportunity to learn more about them. She found him looking, and snorted.

“They’re called ‘lips’, if you’re wondering.”

Right, ‘lips’. He had never considered their particular functions before. “What are they made of?”

“Um, I’m not an expert on anatomy, but generally the same stuff the rest of my face is made of with more nerves and maybe more muscles to help them move.”

“You don’t know how your body functions?”

“Do you?” she deadpanned.

“...Not every part of it,” he said, giving in a little.

Aya didn’t mock or tease him for his lack of knowledge, only nodded. “Lips are used for speech and consuming food and…” She made a face he was unsure how to interpret. “Er, I guess they can be considered erogenous zones?”

Wait, what? “Explain.”

“Since they have more nerves to help process textures and mobility, ugh, that means they’re more sensitive. Humans ‘kiss’, where their lips come in contact with a portion of another person’s body. Wherever they kiss can have different symbolic meanings ranging from affectionate, to outright sexual.”

Bhu’ja tried to understand her obvious discomfort about sensorial organs. She had reacted the same way to learning about his ‘hair’. He had learned some oomans were considered shy when it came to the topic, but there were times where Aya was either neutral and unaffected, or extremely flustered. Thinking, he realized that when it came to the mechanics of sex and procreation, it was all fact to her. When it came to colloquialisms and speaking about more considerably intimate details, the fierce warrior was nervous.

It was extremely tempting to tease her, just a little. He wanted to ask her questions that made her uncomfortable, but not to the point of true distress. Only to see more expressions he hadn’t known of before. Except, it was not only a poor choice for her health at the moment, but he knew she would likely hit him or be otherwise violent if he tried...Bhu’ja tried not to get excited by the idea of her fighting him.

No, the last thing either of them needed was pressuring her about anything.

“I don’t understand why you’re so fearful right now,” he said. She tilted her head at him, confused by the statement. Deep down, he wanted to know her reaction if he ran one of his fingers over her ‘lips’. “You know of one of my sensorial organs, and now I know one of yours.”

She grimaced, “It’s just, this kind of stuff isn’t normally something people talk about on Earth. Sexual stuff is typically more private or by most is considered. Whether or not there are legitimate feelings behind it, to be something not lauded by the public. So, what do you guys do? You seemed kind of open about everything.”

Aya was trying to change the subject. Bhu’ja was starting to believe it was less of a ooman custom and more of an Aya custom. “Males show off our scars about our mating prowess, but we never name the females else we’ll lose our genitals.” She sputtered out a cough of a laugh. After making sure she was not choking on anything or otherwise asphyxiating, he continued. “Females also are  _ typically  _ the ones who broach the males for mating, and emit a mating musk to call on us if they do not claim us verbally.”

“...Mating musk?”

Ah. “Oomans cannot smell it, but we yautja can give off different scents for mating, fighting, and more.”

“So, pheromones, okay.” Oomans had a different terminology for that aspect then. “I don’t think I want to know what I smell like to you. I stink right now because of the physical changes I’m going through.”

Yes, he overheard parts of her conversations with healers, which included more details than what she initially described to Bhu’ja and the others. Something about genitalia having an odor while pregnant? 

Bhu’ja had smelled her on multiple occasions, but hadn’t given much thought to it. Or at least he  _ tried _ not to.“You smell like a fruit that was green, red and orange. Oomans enjoyed it, and used it in your mating ceremonies some years ago. ” He tried it once, it was pleasant. Sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. “They grew in hot and humid environments, and smelled strongest at night. ”

Aya arched a brow, “Now I’m going to be wondering what fruit you’re talking about for the rest of the day.”

Curious himself, he asked, “What do I smell like to you?”

She wrinkled her nose, “Kind of earthy? Like soil or wood, but not in a bad way. It’s also a mixture between burning, and sweet. Almost like a campfire.”

That, that was his musk. “Is it a bad smell?”

“No?” Why was that a question? “I just don’t know what to make of it yet. I wouldn’t say you smell bad, just different.”

Yes, he and Aya were different. Their species were drastically so. Yet despite how infuriating she could be, how much she frightened him through her actions and likelihood of getting herself killed, he admired her cunning, her anger, her determination, her curiosity, her laugh…

She was kind, gentle, yet wrathful and harder than most oomans he’d met. She was a never ending contradiction that threatened to drive him mad. If someone asked if he had feelings for a ooman he had known for such a short period of time, as one who does not normally keep secrets, he would have to say it was hard not to feel  _ something _ .

“Bhu’ja, are you okay? I didn’t say anything offensive, did I?”

He faced her once more, shaking his head. “Mo.” Not allowing himself to hesitate, he said, “Oomans call most yautja ‘ugly motherfuckers’. Do you think the same?”

“That’s uh, oddly specific?” she said, confused. “I don’t think you guys are ugly exactly…” He wasn’t ugly to her? “You all just look like strippers to me.”

Tilting his head, he asked, “What is a stripper?”

Her voice was oddly clinical. Ah, so it was something she could distance herself from, or at least feel comfortable speaking about. “A stripper is a performer who undresses to music in what can be considered a sensual way that provokes sexual excitement. It can also be compared to a form of dancing I guess. Sometimes they use objects or specific kinds of lighting to highlight contours of their bodies.”

How did the ooman know so much about this?

Sensing his inquiry, she said, “...I was a pup. My family was traveling and I got lost in a suburban area at night. The only building that had lights on was apparently a place where strippers performed. At the time I was young enough to think that everyone there was wearing expensive and weird-looking outfits for swimming.”

He leaned forward on his elbow to better gauge her facial expressions, “So, my armor is ‘sexy’ to your people.”

“One, never say ‘sexy’ again,” she said flatly with narrowed eyes, clearly annoyed. Or, at least he thought she was? Reading ooman expressions were surprisingly difficult when they weren’t afraid or prepared to fight. Well, the latter was growing more apparent in her, but that was beside the point. “Two, maybe? They’re more distracted with other things though since you’re out to kill them.”

Bhu’ja decided the next time he went to Earth, he was going to gather information on stippers. Aya wasn’t afraid of strippers, and had a more positive association with them than expected. He could use that information to his advantage.

“What do I remind you of?”

“A yautja female,” he answered automatically, surprising her. “You’re a warrior who is wrathful, but wise. You have great strength, and in a battle you wear that strength thicker than any armor.”

**_It was a moment frozen in time, the image forever seared into his mind as she roared back. The image, life, slowed as the end of the arrow released from her fingertips, cutting part of her cheek. Surrounded by flame and ruin, firing from a tactical position on her knees. She was illuminated, but not overwhelmingly so. It was as if she was part of the reason the light was there, as if it resonated with her anger._ **

“And you wear it proudly even when all odds are against you.”

She stared at him, looking conflicted, and then swallowing harshly. “You, you see me as one of your people? Seriously?”

“Yautja do not lie, Aya,” he reminded her. “And I said I see you as a  _ female  _ yautja, not just any yautja.”

There was a long moment of silence, and Aya suddenly jumped up onto her feet, clearing her throat as she started cleaning up the container with their food. “I er, we should really get back now.”

Her voice…Was so high pitched and shaky. “Are you ill?”

Aya’s stomach rumbled, as if on cue. “Uh, I think it’s just morning sickness? Excuse me.”

She was speaking the truth, and yet not.

What did he do that was wrong?

* * *

Aya hadn’t been lying when she said she thought it might be morning sickness. Fuck, she hoped it might be morning sicknes. The first place she went was the bathroom. Nothing came out of her heaving though, meaning her body was trying to keep the food down. So why-?

**_“You know, no matter what anyone says, I’ve always thought of you as a girl Aya.”_ **

**_She blinked at him, tilting her head. “Um, okay? Where’d that come from?”_ **

**_Her classmate was smiling at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. It almost made her think of a predator hunting its prey. But, that was likely her overreacting again. She always overreacted to the simplest of things. She needed to stop that. He was just being nice. He already said he was sorry for what happened when they were kids. She didn’t accept it, but Aya figured he was trying at least._ **

**_“It’s why I used to snap your bra strap, actually. I didn’t know how to tell you I had a crush on you. I was still figuring stuff out.”_ **

**_Yeah, well, so was Aya, but that didn’t mean she actively hurt people. Or at least she tried not to. He stopped, and held out his hand._ **

**_“I’d like to start over with you. Is that okay?”_ **

**_She wanted to say no. Something felt off about everything when it came to him. But everyone loved him. Everyone admired him. It was just her old grudge against him from when they were kids. She ought to try to grow past that. They were technically adults now, so, shouldn’t she forgive him?_ **

**_Aya hesitated, starting to reach out, only to pull back slightly, unsure. He tugger her hand then, practically snatching it. His palms were soft and cold. His grip was firm, and Aya wondered if it’d be rude to remove her hand first. Damn it, how should she interact with people?_ **

**_“I’m so glad you’ve forgiven me.”_ **

**_She barely heard anything he said after that. Aya had to try trusting people, she had to let them in. She had to. She couldn’t afford to be paranoid for the rest of her life. That’s what everyone kept telling her._ **

A burst of a bitter laugh erupted from her mouth. It was quiet, but it echoed in the room, coming back to her as soon as it left. Than-guan was right, Aya should’ve listened to her instincts back then, and not all the doubts running through her head at that time. If she had, things would’ve been so much different.

Aya leaned against the wall, trying to think of something else. She felt so exhausted, like she just wanted to sleep forever. She wanted actual sleep though, not the kind where she’d wake up screaming or feeling like somebody had been kicking at her head. She wanted blissful darkness and dreamless nights and warmth that made her feel safe.

Bhu’ja hadn’t meant what he said the same way that  _ he _ had. Female yautja were basically worshipped from what she could understand. So, in Bhu’ja’s mind he was placing her above him in terms of status. He...Admired her, and that just made her feel like scum. Hell, she already felt dirty for a lot of things, but she didn’t want to feel that way here. She didn’t want to feel it anywhere.

Her fingers started to claw into her skin until she counted her pulse in her mind, fighting to breathe in and out.

She couldn’t show weakness. She had to be strong. Getting back up onto her feet, admittedly more wobbly than she’d like, she did her best to wash her face to hide evidence of her tears. She thought of running. She thought of the moments of her life that were happier. She thought of-

**_"I will not harm you."_ **

Fuck, there was no way in hell she was going to fall for that bullshit again. She just needed to play this out for as long as possible. She’d learned to act before, to blend in, she could do it again.

After all, she had learned that just because someone was paranoid, didn’t mean they were wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Rough Draft) Preview of Upcoming Chapter:
> 
> As they walked through the colony, Aya tried to maintain her composure as she took in all the sights and all the people. It was a humid planet, one with a reddened sky instead of blue. Bhu'ja and the others had assured her that it was safe to breathe in the air, and that despite her being human on an alien planet that went out of their way to hunt her people, that she was somehow going to be safe. Disturbingly, while she got the occasional odd look or even a catch of a glare, no one said jack shit, or even tried anything. It was setting her on edge.
> 
> Just as she was about to ask Bhu'ja if they could return to the ship, that’s when she saw them. There were a couple of female humans and a male, one talking amicably with an albino, another male dressed in golden armor close behind. One woman had dark skin, and a scar on her cheek. The was pale, wearing some kind of coat that reminded Aya of the medics aboard the ship. The male was of a race Aya couldn’t really decipher, not that it mattered. His scars were more of what caught her attention than anything else. The moment that Aya saw them, they saw her too.
> 
> The females lit up, all three humans bounding up to her with excitement. One of them, the darker female, jogged up to her, eyes lingering on Aya’s lower abdomen where her belly was growing more prominent. There was a grin, and a wink before she offered her hand. How the fuck should Aya interpret that? 
> 
> Rampant thoughts ran through her mind in those seconds that she moved. Did these guys have kids too? Did they hunt? Did they have mates? How much of their humanity had they lost or given up? How does she even communicate with them? Aya barely let herself spend time with other humans back on Earth, socialization not really her thing. She tried to keep things professional, business-like both on Earth and with the yautja. Unfortunately, it was becoming a losing battle with the latter. 
> 
> Feeling eyes on her, she looked out from the corner of her eyes. A lot of the yautja were watching the them, clearly curious as to how humans interacted here. And with those eyes watching? What else was she supposed to do? Slowly, Aya returned the gesture unsure as their palms met, nearly jumping at the first human contact she'd felt in what felt like forever.
> 
> “Hi, I’m Lex.”
> 
> "...Aya."


	20. Yautja Sex Education

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: 
> 
> 1) There is mature content in here including talking about sex and more or less descriptive imagery.
> 
> 2) Again, the names of the yautja come from comics, but are not the characters themselves.

“She’s overworking herself in the training room, again.” Than-guan looked up at Guan-twei. “Why do you think the ooman does that?”

Than-guan narrowed her eyes in thought. “She’s tense, stressed. That won’t go away for a long time.” It certainly hadn’t for the Elder’s mate all those years ago. It had taken years. Years were exactly something they had the patience for at the moment, unfortunately. “I’ll speak with her.”

Watching her younger sister leave, Than-guan returned her attention to the medical reports that the physicians had presented her with. Her body showed a great deal of trauma, some more expected than others. Yautja scanners could detect injuries of years past, view mended bones, and reveal aspects of anatomy that some species couldn’t comprehend. Some of the scan results bothered her greatly.

Most of the injuries were easily explained. For instance, the recently broken bones from Aya’s battle with the kainde amedha, previous infections, a concussion, most of these weren’t that unusual for yautja. For a ooman though, that was something entirely different. Oomans were respected for their craftiness, determination, and even their anger. Physical attributes however? They were weak, incredibly so. It was the other traits that made up for such weakness.

From what Aya spoke of her “athleticism” and the activities involved, much of her old wounds could be explained. There were some though that couldn’t be, or at least shouldn’t be, explained through such physical activities. As a guardian for the females on the ship, Than-guan was well aware of what such injuries meant.

Than-guan just needed to figure out a way to broach Aya about such a thing. Sighing, she rubbed her forehead. Normally, she’d just confront someone about this, demand it. Aya was a ooman though, and a pregnant one. As much as she wanted to, she could not just treat Aya as another yautja. She couldn’t intimidate the ooman into the truth. She would have to persuade the small creature into talking.

Making sure that her pup was asleep first, and monitored, Than-guan went to check on the ooman. Aya was wearing an outfit that exposed her midriff, but covered her breasts and groin area. She was covered in sweat as she ran around the track. As she stopped, Than-guan almost, _almost_ , smirked at the thought of how some yautja males might react at the sight of such a spectacle. Well, she might’ve if she hadn’t something else to say.

Regrettably, that’s when she saw Aya take off her mask, laughing under her breath. That expression, Than-guan knew it well.

Than-guan understood more about oomans than most on this ship, and for good reason. 

Once upon a time, her closest friend was one.

**_“Than-guan, I’m pregnant!”_ **

**_A young Than-Guan, a young blood, felt her eyes widen at the ooman who didn’t even reach her chest in height. She had dark skin with hair the color of the night. “I didn’t think that was possible.”_ ** **_  
  
_**

**_“Dachande searched some of the old records. It’s happened before me.” The ooman was glowing. Than-guan didn’t know they could do that. “I...Are you angry? I know that bloodlines mean a great deal and I’m a ooman and-”_ **

**_“No, I am just shocked, Sacniete,” Than-guan admitted, slowly smiling. “And very happy for you two. Do you have any idea when the pup will be born?”_ **

**_“We’re looking into that too. How long yautja and humans are pregnant are really different and...I’m, I’m sorry. I’m just so happy, and nervous, and I have so many feelings I can’t even describe. It’s like I’m in a dream, and I don’t want to wake up. I’m terrified that anything could take this from me...”_ **

Aya resembled Sacniete so much in this moment. It had been centuries, but the memories of Than-guan’s old friend, of the Elder’s, Dachande’s, ooman mate? It was as if the spirit was haunting them. Did she really want to deprive this ooman, whatever she’d been through, this one moment of genuine happiness?

The ooman startled then, looking up and smiling. Anger and guilt pierced the yautja as she could only bring herself to say, “You should rest.”

“Sorry,” the ooman chuckled. Why did oomans apologize so much? “I just always feel so tired except for these occasional bursts of energy. I hate just sitting around, so I wanted to get some of the energy I have out.”

She sipped some of her water before placing the mask back on, hiding her face from Than-guan. While it was keeping the ooman alive, Than-guan couldn’t help but think of how much the mask enabled her to hide from herself at the same time. “...You do know that nothing will harm you here, don’t you?”

That wasn’t what Than-guan had intended to ask, but it was one of many questions she had wanted to ask for a long time. Aya tilted her head, then her shoulders bent forward slightly.

“I, I’m sorry, but I can’t.” Than-guan nearly drowned the rest out, but tried to listen. “I’ve been fighting my entire life. If I don’t keep myself busy, if I don’t always fight, I’m not sure what I’d do or what would happen.”

Is that why the ooman had a hard time resting? Why Than-guan had only found Aya sleeping peacefully near Bhu’ja? Was that why there were such dark circles under her eyes?

**_“Oh, these?” Sacniete said, gesturing to her upper cheekbones where the marks were. “Humans get them when they aren’t getting the sleep they need.”_ **

“I know I technically don’t have to fight,” Aya murmured, her intonation different somehow. Than-guan was starting to get more irritated by how little she could read of the ooman’s expressions from the mask. “... Before I came here, the Elder messaged me.”

“Which one?”

“Er, Bhu’ja’s and Bakuub’s grandfather?”

Recalling the bloodlines swiftly, Than-guan nodded. “What did he tell you?”

Than-guan had always found the ways oomans fidgeted to be annoying. However, when one examined _how_ they fidgeted, it spoke a great deal about their character. For instance, the way Aya was shifting from foot to foot and her fingers were twitching? She was readying herself to run or to fight, whether she realized it or not. “That I could claim one of his grandsons as a mate to properly ensure my future and the future of my pup,” Aya said flatly. Those hands closed sharply, the knuckles whitening. “While I appreciate the Elder’s...Advice and forethought, it leaves me disappointed in all honesty.”

The female was angered by the concept of mating with a yautja male? No, there was something else to it. “Disappointed?”

“On Earth, there was an old tradition called ‘arranged marriage’. It was where couples were selected, more often in reigning clans, to bind the people or to produce offspring that many would find suitable.” Okay? “The couples in question, especially the females involved, had no say in what happened.”

Ah. Even after all these centuries, the idea of a female not being in control was a foreign concept. The only times that happened in yautja society was when a dishonorable incident had occurred, and the aftermath ensued that the male in question would _never_ be able to procreate ever again. “You think that’s what it would be like for Bhu’ja?”

Aya was quiet for a long moment, her voice echoing with something Than-guan was unsure how to interpret. “I’ve lived a life where my choices were either limited, arguably more than they should have been, or those choices were taken from me. I would not do the same to him, no more than I already have.”

Than-guan had a strong urge to kill someone now. “...He wronged you.”

She and Aya were speaking of very different people at that moment.

“Regardless, choosing Bhu’ja as a mate would do little good,” Aya said.

Than-guan could tell she was looking out the glass, to the dark of the night and the infernos lighting up the skies. Sacniete used to look at the stars with such wonder as well, but with Aya it was more somber, wary. One recognized the possibilities of a future worth hoping for, and another saw possible dangers, calculating every one. The ooman was deep in thought, the depths still unknown to Than-guan.

“The yautja hunt to claim status. If he doesn’t hunt, he will lose what he has gained. If he does hunt, no matter how skilled he is, there’s a chance he won’t come back.”

There was some truth to what Aya said. Everyone, even the greatest of warriors, would lose the final battle to Cetanu, the god of death, in the end. Males, especially young ones, believed that just having enough skill or intelligence or talent will keep them alive long enough to produce as many offspring as possible. The truth was that even the best could be beaten by the simplest of mistakes, some that even the most experienced make.

“You would still not be killed or harmed by any here.”

“But someone could dump me off on any of these planets,” Aya replied, gesturing out to the darkness. “No one except for Bhu’ja is obligated to see my health or my pup’s health. There are some here who would do it voluntarily, but nothing to ensure such a thing.”

The ooman was standing with arms crossing her chest now.

“Bakuub said I’d basically have the rights of a yautja, but from what I understand, that’s only because of my bond with Bhu’ja.” Than-guan had the urge to hunt down a certain male yautja and scalp him for oversimplifying the situation. “I can’t go back to Earth, and, with no fault on his part for this, I can’t depend on Bhu’ja for the rest of my life. I need to find a way to become independent here. I don’t need all of society to accept me or even tolerate me. I need to earn the rank of a ‘person’ here. Not a pet, not some part of a contract, an individual person. I just can’t figure out how.”

Unlike most oomans that lived among the yautja, few they were, Aya was the only one Than-guan realized that didn’t have much of a choice. Sacniete was originally part of a hunt by the Elder and his hunting party, meant to be his prey. However, it was discovered she’d been kidnapped by the Bad Bloods of her people, so they left her alone. It was only when Sacniete prevented one of the Bad Bloods from acting dishonorably to one of the youngbloods that Dachande’s interest truly peaked. More so when she hunted down her kidnappers, fighting side by side with the yautja to defeat them.

Sacniete wasn’t a fighter, not truly, but one should never underestimate the wrath of females for any species.

Aya really did remind Than-guan of her old friend sometimes.

“He may have suggested it for other reasons.” The ooman arched an eyebrow, expecting for Than-guan to explain further. The audacity of this ooman was irritating. “This situation is highly irregular. Most oomans that join us? They’re mates or adopted by our people.”

Aya twitched, wrinkling her nose. It was an interesting expression. “The adoption part, I might be able to see. Mating? Not so much.”

“Are we that displeasing in appearance? I have encountered oomans that describe us as ‘ugly motherfuckers’.”

“Bhu’ja said the same thing. Seriously, that’s _really_ specific. And no, it’s not your appearance, even if it did startle me a bit at first since I’ve never really seen anything, anybody, like you guys before. It’s just…” She gestured to their respective heights. “And I have no idea what you guys look like under what little clothing you have. From what I can tell, sex between the species shouldn’t be physically possible.”

This could work out. Even if there was no sexual interest in Bhu’ja on Aya's part, Than-guan needed to better understand what Aya thought of male forms. “Then I will show you.”

Aya jumped, slowing backing up, crouched for fight or flight. “Don’t tell me you’re going to have somebody strip for me. That would be really uncomfortable for me. Shit, definitely not someone I know. That’s just...It’d be weird, and awkward.”

“Our males wear little for a reason. Sometimes the best way to attract a mate is to ‘flaunt’ their physical qualities.”

“That ever work on you?”

“No,” Than-guan chuckled. “Has it for you?”

“No. There were times where it was admittedly tempting, but...I guess I wanted to find the right person in my own time.”

That was understandable. “For our lesson tomorrow, you’ll be watching a video on mating habits for yautja.”

The ooman paled, then flushed, then stuttered a little with an anxious, pained smile. “Er, okay? Just so you know, sex education wasn’t the greatest on Earth, especially for females.”

Than-guan wanted to joke that might explain a few things, but she shouldn’t chase the ooman away.

“Do not worry. It will be... _Informative_.”

* * *

Aya was watching an alien sex education video. 

The last time she had something like this was when she was ten, and all the video would talk about was feminine supplies without explaining what they were for. A few months later, her puberty hit earlier than most girls, and it had been in the school cafeteria bathroom. She was so scared that she was bleeding from where she was peeing, but didn’t want to tell anyone because of how expensive hospital bills were and she didn’t want to put that shit on her family. That, and the school nurses likely wouldn’t have done jack shit. She had to walk _four freaking miles_ after school with bloody underwear and scared for her life.

...She had thought there was something fucking messed up about herself. It really fucking sucked. The sad thing was? Her best sex education came from Wikipedia, and porn sites that bothered to try to educate their viewers on what sex and puberty actually was.

A _porn_ site gave her better education than her school and parents did, and she had stumbled across the damned place by freaking accident via a word search.

“So, do all yautja watch this?”

Why the fuck did Than-guan have snacks? Was that jerky? Why and how could she fucking eat jerky during this?!

“It’s strongly recommended, but the females are entrusted to teach their pups through their own knowledge and experiences.”

Yeah well, that didn’t work out so well on Earth. Some still believed that eating watermelon seeds could cause someone to get pregnant.

The screen turned on, and there was a female yautja. She was _green_ , reminding Aya that most yautja tended to have colors that blended better with more natural surroundings. The intro was similar enough to Earth videos, and then came the diagrams and...Holy shit was that a nude male yautja?!

_“This is one of the most prized males of our species-”_

Shit, he was naked. He was _so_ naked. Why was he naked?! Hot damn the guy was built though. And covered in a lot of scars but...Where was his penis? Wait, why the fuck was she focusing on that?! That should not be the biggest issue here! He was naked!

“ _As you can see, the penile sheath is retractable.”_

...What? And then the female put her hand over the male’s groin, and something huge and with ridges came out. Holy shit how the bloody fucking hell was that supposed to fit in a human of any gender?!

Than-guan paused the video. “Are you all right?” Aya only made confused noises. “We can stop.”

Damn her and her curiosity. “I’ll be okay,” Aya _squeaked_. “I just, uh, wasn’t expecting to see someone nude so soon, I guess? Caught me off guard.”

She could do this. Aya had seen naked people before. Nakedness wasn’t a bad thing. It was natural, everyone had different bodies and preferences. Aya fought a dinosaur and won. She could beat this, she was not going to let this get the best of her. No way in hell.

Aya was a survivor, a warrior. She could survive one dumbass sex ed video, damn it.

…

..

.

Porn, Aya just watched a shit ton of alien porn. Very descriptive alien porn. She was exhausted, groaning as she buried her face in her hands. Okay, so it _was_ possible for a human and a yautja to not only have sex, but make babies. Ugh.

“This is one of the few occasions where there are no stupid questions. You may ask anything you want to understand further, if at all.”

Than-guan was being _really_ patient about this.

Thinking carefully, Aya said, “So, the uh, the partners battle-sex it out for dominance?”

That honestly bothered her. The yautja were tough as fuck. How could humans possibly compete? Aya got lucky in the battlefield, and she _knew_ they’d gone easy on her. During sex though?’

“One must prove they can produce the strongest offspring.” Even with all those trophies. “That is one of many ways, and is the most common.” Than-guan’s expression changed to something softer. “But the male will always stop if a female commands it, even in the middle of sex. The most important thing is that it’s comfortable, and pleasurable.”

Jeeze, just that word, _pleasurable_. It sounded so foreign and weird. “...Gotta say, wasn’t expecting the oral sex bit, with those tusks, mandibles, whatever you call them.”

Her cheeks were on fire. Fuck, it wasn’t just her face that was on fire. For the first time in a long one, Aya felt something stirring, and it wasn’t the baby. Hell, even human porn hadn’t affected her that much. This was weird, and nice, and was conflicting. These were freakin' aliens. She should not be attracted to them. It was just so, it was too much. Her mind couldn't even process it.

Than-guan jumped a little, her eyes widening and mandibles flaring in shock before grinning. “You have a mating musk.”

“...Huh?”

“I knew oomans had it, even while pregnant, but I wasn’t expecting it from _you_.”

Aya choked a little, “Er…”

“And it’s because you’re thinking of our males.”

Commence inner screaming in mortification. “Please, _don’t_.”

Than-guan chittered a small laugh. “Yes, we can have oral sex. Males tend to give more than receive.” More inner screaming. “And our tusks can be quite... _Useful_ , to better enhance the experience.”

This was how Aya was going to die. Not by yautja, or Bad Bloods, or freakin’ dinosaur eldritch horrors, but by talking about sex.

“Are you well?”

“I’ll live,” Aya grunted, pinching the bridge of her nose. “It’s just there’s a high chance for the next couple of weeks my imagination is going to make me see all the yautja naked and I’m going to have to try not to overreact to it.”

What would Bhu’ja even look like naked? She’d already seen him mostly nude save for a mimicry of underwear. Thinking of the male in the video, she picked up her pillow, and screamed into it. Than-guan got up, hands out to help Aya somehow when Aya set the pillow down, almost breaking down crying. Stupid ass hormones.

“Sorry, just...Hormones. I feel like screaming more than half the time, and right now with how my mind is getting outside of my control, it’s not helping.”

“It sounds like more than merely hormones.” Aya tensed, silently praying Than-guan wouldn’t dig into things too much. “I will not ask further though, not unless it worsens the health of anyone on this ship.”

The human woman tensed, thinking of how to phrase her next question. “Is Bhu’ja intentionally courting me? In the video a lot of their behaviors are like his.”

“I am unsure. I believe he is merely attempting to provide for you. Would it be bad if he had feelings for you?”

“Yes and no. I don’t understand why he would be interested at all,” Aya said flatly, narrowing her eyes. A terrible thought came to her. “It could be a coping mechanism for all I know.”

“Coping mechanism?”

Aya met Than-guan’s eyes evenly. “Do you know what Stockholm Syndrome is?” When the yautja shook her head, Aya sighed. “It is a coping mechanism, something where the mind tries to ease a difficult situation by adapting for better or worse. When someone has Stockholm Syndrome, it’s typically where a prisoner or victim gains feelings for someone keeping them captive against their will. The mind rationalizes that such behaviors are acceptable to ensure survival. Some will do drastic things in the process, the kind where they either aren’t fully aware of their actions, or behave in ways they normally wouldn’t, not in their right minds or unable to truly give consent for _anything_ because they are under such duress.”

“But, Bhu’ja isn’t your captive?”

Wasn’t he? “He’s under duress to ensure my survival, effectively trapped to remain with me though he clearly wasn’t happy about it when we formally met. If he wasn’t bound to me by the code, do you really think he would _ever_ gain feelings for me? Real feelings? Do you think I would?” Reading the yautja’s bewilderment, Aya said, “That’s another reason why I don’t want to mate with him. It wouldn’t be real, we wouldn’t be happy, and it’s not healthy for either of us.”

Both Aya and Bhu’ja were in a scenario Aya knew wasn’t good for either of their mentalities.

“...That’s another reason why I need to find a way to free him from this. I’ll be stronger in my stance with the clan, and he can be free to make whatever choices he wants.”

And they could both be free.

* * *

  
  


The conversations Than-guan shared with the ooman were daunting.

There were moments in the video where Aya had paled, or was even frightened by the prospect of mating in any capacity. But there were also other ones that showed Aya could feel some semblance of lust and desire. 

Then there was her reluctance to mate with Bhu’ja at all. Than-guan had her suspicions of something growing between them, but if Aya doubted that potential then the likelihood of producing any offspring with her eyes, her strength, was grim.

Aya was intelligent, fierce, and stronger than some gave her credit for. The fire in her eyes as she spoke only spoke depths of her determination to provide a life for her and her young one. It was almost frightening, and the reality of how Aya was able to accomplish what she had was truly setting in.

Was that why someone had obviously harmed her? To try to control her? Was it a matter of power and subjugation? Before she could get lost further in her thoughts, her message system beeped, alerting her. Opening up the missive, she tried not to croak.

The Council of Ancients were having a gathering at a colony, and they wanted to meet some of the oomans that had been adopted by multiple clans.

C’jit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue:
> 
> Aya tossed and turned, the aching between her legs having little to nothing to do with her pregnancy. She didn't know whether or not to give in to some of her urges, wanting to get off. It'd been so long. Running her hand through her hand, and slightly tugging it, she bit her lip a little.
> 
> The male in the video had no shame whatsoever. Fuck, he'd been proud to show off his physique, to be considered a prime example of a male for future females of his people. But he'd still be respectful, on his best behavior. That was probably the part that really made her feel safer about the whole thing, more comfortable with all of this.
> 
> Would Bhu'ja be like that?
> 
> Pinching herself, she tried to regain control of her mind before it could go anywhere it shouldn't. The people in the video made it look so easy, but nothing was easy for Aya at this point. She doubted it ever would be.
> 
> Should she give in?
> 
> Tentatively, she reached down, conflicted about letting herself think of the male in the video. As soon as her hand drew close, a completely different face appeared, one that made the pleasant ache vanished as she jumped away in fear at the phantom pain.
> 
> The baby kicked her as she panted, and Aya counted her breaths, her pulse, trying to calm down.
> 
> Fuck, even if she wanted sex, with anybody here, she wasn't going to be able to do it, was she?
> 
> ...It was going to be a long night, wasn't it?
> 
> Whelp, time to go punch something, again.


	21. Feelings Realizing...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Sexual and mature content in the epilogue, including explicit scenes. Reader discretion advised.
> 
> ...I'm going to hell.

Bhu’ja felt the air from his lungs flood out when Aya pinned him to the ground, both of them breathless.

“You’re getting better at this.”

“I have a good teacher,” she said with pride. She should be proud. This ooman had potential, and he wondered if they were only just discovering a tiny part of her hidden strengths. “Well, a few actually.”

He huffed, recalling that Than-guan and Bakuub were also taking up parts of her education. Most of the clan didn’t like the idea of sharing such secrets with species outside their kind, but she needed to know. “I see. However, you’re forgetting a crucial part of your teaching.”

Her hair drifted down her shoulders, flowing in a way his kind’s couldn’t. It was almost, _almost_ , mesmerizing. Too bad he had a goal in mind. “And what would that be?”

Taking one of her feet by his ribs, he pulled it out from under her, almost laughing at her squeak of surprise as he flipped their positions. He made sure not to hurt her, only hearing the slightest of sounds as she landed. “You son of a-!”

“Careful of how you insult. The blood of thousands of generations of warriors flow in my veins,” he uttered. “I’m sure more of them would be offended if you said something about my heritage.”

“...Bitch.” What? “Everyone’s a bitch in my eyes. What degree of a bitch they are determines how I’m willing to behave around them.”

This ooman was so strange sometimes. “It’s a good thing that yautja hounds are fierce and revered then.”

She blinked up at him. “Wait, you have _dogs_? Why haven’t I seen any?”

He smirked, leaning back up so that their bodies weren’t so close. The scent of her mating musk was overwhelming at times to the point where he was wary any male on the ship might try to claim her. She didn’t even seem aware of it, and when he spoke to physicians they explained that it was a common ooman thing to feel arousal while pregnant, arguably more than did beforehand in some cases.

At least he was getting better at controlling his body around her. She was wearing the clothing _he_ made. She brushed her mane with the comb he crafted from _his_ prey. Through this, their scents intermingled at times to the point where he wondered if it would drive him mad.

“We keep them in a separate place on the ship,” he said, keeping his voice as cheerful as it was when they were sparring. “Would you like to see them?”

A large amount of his difficulty dissipated upon seeing the childlike expression in her eyes through the mask. How were there so many facets to this ooman? How many had he yet to see? After making sure there was nothing wrong with her, he escorted her to the other side of the ship. He got worried when she stood absolutely still, the hounds staring back at her in confusion.

“Oh my god, they’re dinosaur puppies.”

This ooman was obsessed with ‘dinosaurs’. That, or such extinct beings were the closest comparison she could make. Bhu’ja called out a command, ordering one to approach. One of the biggest appeared, growling near her until it sniffed the air, pressing its nose to her lower abdomen. The hounds had been trained specifically never to attack mothers, pups, or those who were pregnant. That was the only reason he was letting this interaction happen at all. Thousands of years of training was ingrained in them so that they couldn’t besmirch the honor of their owners.

Bhu’ja remained standing while Aya had to sit down, more hounds approaching with curiosity, sniffing at her. She giggled, petting each one of them. The beast masters nearby watched in astonishment as the animals began making soothing sounds, their own variations of purring.

“The fuck?” one whispered.

“She’s pregnant,” Bhu’ja, the only explanation needed.

One of the creatures lay its head in her lap, where she happily rubbed a part of its head to the point where the animal started panting, kicking out one of its legs. Then the ooman started cooing, _cooing_ , nonsensical words that the translator could barely keep up with. 

It was such a ridiculous sight, and Bhu’ja...Couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.

At the same time, the hounds were fiercely protective and loyal to whoever owned them. Clicking silently in thought, he approached one of the beast masters while keeping a close eye on Aya. “Can she have one?”

“It would need to be specially trained for any of her needs, but, yes?”

All the hunters in the room were still trying to process what they were seeing. At first, Bhu’ja was starting to feel horrible about his attraction at such innocent-like reactions from Aya, but then he could only think about how she would be around a true yautja pup. He had seen her hold one before, and a few sparse interactions, but they were always kept at a slight distance out of concern of either harming them, or invoking a mother’s anger. Here, here she was far freer and more open with her emotions.

“I’ll take one.”

Next thing he knew, he and Aya were working together to teach a hound pup to hunt and guard. She was patient, encouraging, and strict when she needed to be. 

He must’ve thought it over a thousand times by now, but he could never stop the voices in his head telling him what a great mother she was going to be.

* * *

Oomans and yautja residing together, being together, was never something new, but prejudice had a tendency to affect the minds of those less understanding. There hadn’t been that many yautja that challenged Aya’s presence on the ship, but the handful that did tended to be ones of an older generation, or those close to them.

With a roar, he managed to succeed in getting behind the yautja, and snap his neck. As the warrior fell to the platform, Bhu’ja used his bare hands to tear off the head, the blood of his enemy splattering onto his body. Narrowing his eyes, he searched the small crowd that had gathered for any more challengers. None approached.

Getting off the stage, he allowed himself to be tended to by the physicians when he saw Skemte walk towards him. “Are you here to challenge me?”

“No, only to question,” Skemte said, folding his arms as they both watched the groups leave. “The ooman doesn’t know about this, does she?”

He showed no pain as the physicians poked and prodded as his wounds. “The healers said it was miraculous she and her pup survived. If she found out about this, it might endanger her health more.”

She’d been through enough, and like any female should feel safe without needing to be fearful of her health or that of her offspring’s. Skemte grunted, “How much longer must we endure her in such a fragile state?”

“...She’s just a little past the halfway point of the pregnancy.”

As Skemte groaned in frustration, Bhu’ja couldn’t stop the small smile that came.

**_The pup was finally looking more ooman than the combination of cells that had been developing earlier. It had a head, limbs, and even a thumb that it sucked on. It hadn’t opened its eyes while Aya was being examined, but he was willing to bet that those eyes would match its mother’s._ **

**_It was also like its mother in that it kicked whenever the healers had to touch Aya’s lower abdomen, ignoring how they purred in the attempts to calm it. It was only when Bhu’ja instinctively joined in that it ceased, Aya’s wince lessening._ **

**_“Do you wish to know the sex of your pup?”_ **

**_Aya’s head shot up so quickly that Bhu’ja worried she was about to dislocate something. “You can see that now?” When the physician nodded, Aya’s excitement was radiant. “Tell me.”_ **

**_“It is a female.”_ **

**_Next thing Bhu’ja knew, he was being embraced by a laughing ooman._ **

Aya was going to have a daughter and Bhu’ja…

He looked at his hands, covered in blood. He knew for a fact his claws could rend flesh from bone. Would he even be able to hold something so young and defenseless? Would Aya let him?

Cleaning off his palms and talons as much as possible, he almost forgot that Skemte was still there. “Anything else?”

Skemte shifted his stance. “The Council of Ancientis summoning all clans with oomans to the colony on Solano.” Bhu’ja stared, and Skemte huffed, “Be glad the oomans aren’t being sent to Ryushi or Gimeno.”

The planets without colonies were known for having dangerous prey, the kind that tended to eat meat. That was why they were hunting preserves. “Why would the Council want the oomans? They barely tolerate the species living among us, and that’s only because a couple of them fought alongside oomans for entertainment purposes. Most have entire rooms or ooman skeletons.”

What incited this sudden act? Why were the oomans being summoned? What would happen to Aya? Fuck, the Elite didn’t look bothered in the slightest. “The good news is that they’d still have to follow the honor code and spare your ooman. The rest though? I doubt this will end well.”

Bhu’ja thought of his ooman’s laugh, her joy, her eyes…What if he never saw them again? What if he never learned anything more of her life? What if-? C’jit, this wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t supposed to happen at all. None of this was supposed to. 

“They could release you.” What? He turned to look at Skemte, not understanding. “It wouldn’t be the first time that the Ancients found a way to do that sort of thing. There’s always some kind of loophole or alternate way so someone can retain their honor. If you really wanted, you could be free from the ooman.”

Free? Wasn’t he free though? No, he was honor-bound to her. He wouldn’t have chosen her, would he?

**_“You have a bit of an artist in you.”_ **

Looking at his hands again, Bhu’ja thought of how he had to carve the bone with precision, caution, and care. Such a frail thing came from the work, but he had been able to craft it regardless. He made it into something more than a weapon. He made something and treated it with the thought of Aya in mind, and she praised him.

He’d never been praised for much beyond his hunting skills and physical prowess. There was something about it that made him feel lighter, lighter than he had been in a long time. He couldn’t even remember the last time he felt something like that. Except, maybe for…

**_It was a moment frozen in time, the image forever seared into his mind as she roared back. The image, life, slowed as the end of the arrow released from her fingertips, cutting part of her cheek. Surrounded by flame and ruin, firing from a tactical position on her knees. She was illuminated, but not overwhelmingly so. It was as if she was part of the reason the light was there, as if it resonated with her anger._ **

For some reason, the moment he felt he saw her clearly for the first time was when she took his breath away. She had been a warrior, a fierce opponent, and someone so frustratingly irritating that he would have once delighted in adding her skull to his trophies. In that moment though? He couldn’t put it into words at the time, but she was ethereal, a goddess as blasphemous as that sounded.

Then, she cried when she thought she lost her baby, reminding him of how mortal she was. She was stubborn, and reckless, and…

He should’ve known his life would never have been the same the moment she had smacked him in the face and knocked him onto his ass the first time they encountered one another.

...Bhu’ja was ensnared from the first time Aya called him an asshole and tried to shoot him.

Staring at his hands again, he said, “I swore to protect her and her young, and I intend to do just that...Honor-bound or not.”

He didn’t even bother to witness Skemte’s reaction.

He didn’t care.

He was going to see his ooman.

* * *

Aya was in the Worker Caste’s area, speaking with one of the artisans there. She was biting her bottom lip as she drew something, the crafter helping her with something.

He was about to ask them what they were up to when Aya asked, “Do you think he’ll like it?”

The artist tilted his head. “It is an unusual gift, but it’s also considered an insult to refuse such things.”

“So, you’re saying it’s terrible but he’ll take it anyways?”

“I do not know your male well enough to make that judgement.”

The ooman shrugged, eyebrows creased. “Fair enough. I just, I can’t exactly hunt right now and I’m not sure what’s appropriate to thank him for all he’s done, for all I’ve put him through. Ugh, I’m fucking this up.”

On a screen, he saw images revolving. They were her sketches, not dissimilar to the ‘bouncing ball’ she made him earlier. Except, this time it was yautja. It was a compilation, a simulation, of the stories he told her about his people, their mythology. Some portions were rough, but so was she.

“Sorry, should we get back to working on the translators?”

The yautja in question nodded, and Bhu’ja left them, knowing that one of the Guan sisters was close by.

And sure enough… “It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

Guan-twei was glaring down at him. “Apologies, I just wanted to reassure myself of her safety.” Speaking before she could start, he said, “Skemte told me that the Ancients are having a ooman gathering. Do you know why?”

She went silent for longer than he would’ve liked. “They didn’t say anything beside that we’re not to tell the oomans anything. If we do, there are ‘dire consequences’.”

“Do you suspect a trap?” Guan-twei gave him a look, one that told him he was pushing limits. “Please, I just beheaded someone for her. If I have to challenge an Ancient for her, I would prefer to know ahead of time.”

“You’d die.”

He growled, “At least I’d die with honor.”

And he wasn’t speaking of how he was bound to Aya.

The yautja female tilted her head, “You’ve barely known her for days. Are you really so quick to defend her?”

“Yes.”

Even he was surprised by the lack of hesitation.

“Is it solely because you seek to redeem yourself?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

Out of everything Bhu’ja could have said, out of the thousands of ways he could try to describe Aya, he found himself saying, “She’s my light, my fire. I won’t let her be extinguished.”

For some reason, that satisfied the female.

“I won’t tell her you were here, and you will be amazed by her craftsmanship.”

Bhu’ja had no doubts about the last part.

Seeing her smile once more, Bhu’ja realized what he wanted to do...

He was going to court Aya Prynne.

...

..

.

_**Epilogue** _

**_The room was dark with the faintest of lighting, but it was in that darkness that she could feel the heat of his gaze the most._ **

**_She should be scared, a part of her wanted to be, but what she felt was an ache she didn’t know she could feel. She felt hungry._ **

**_Fingers held her chin, lifting it so she could peer into that intense gazing, the ones always searching hers. She looked back just as intensely._ **

**_“What do you desire?”_ **

**_Damn, there were so many things she wanted in life. She wanted a safe place, she wanted to be a good mother, she wanted freedom, and strangely most of all, she just wanted a friend. She wanted someone she could depend on. It didn’t have to be for a day. Hell, maybe not even an hour. In that moment though? If she could have just one thing, it’d be one night to give into all the sinful things she felt._ **

**_Taking his hand in hers, she lifted it from her face just a little rougher than she probably should have. He let go, even with the hurt in his eyes. At least, he was hurt until she turned his palm towards her, and placed her lips on it, shutting her eyes for a second to inhale his heavy scent that only grew stronger. Slowly opening her eyes, she watched his reactions as she dragged her mouth to his fingertips, nipping lightly at one of them. The tang of him was intoxicating._ **

**_“You,” she said, a growl underlying in her voice. “Is that a problem?”_ **

**_He purred that wonderful purr, the one that made her imagination go wild at the possibilities. She led his hand to her hair, leaning closer as he slowly ran his claws through it, sending shivers up and down her spine. There was tenderness there, his gaze softening, at least until her own claws trailed up and down one of his dreadlocks, both of them growling._ **

**_“Not at all.”_ **

**_“Good.” She tugged on the dreadlock then, moving as close to his face as she could, her growling getting louder. He attempted to touch her again, and she stopped him, shaking her head with a grin. “Strip, slowly.”_ **

**_It was a command. She was commanding someone that was so much stronger, so much more dangerous than her, and it made her feel powerful. She could get drunk on this. She could get drunk on him._ **

_**In the dark, the slivers of light reflected off of his armor as it began to fall to the floor. His eyes glowed in the night, molten and reverent. She was wanted. She was wanted and it was glorious. His hips swiveled as one of the last pieces drifted to the ground, and he lifted his feet from the shell he had relieved himself of. In only his netting and the cloth barely covering the nakedness of him, it was clear just how strong his arousal was. As he peeled back the rest of his layers, revealing his form, she found herself mesmerized by the shape of him. All of her senses were being invaded, and she loved it.** _

**_Getting up from her perch, she walked around him, catching the way his chest rose and fell, quickening just as her heart did. Before him once more, gazing at him with half-lowered eyes, she ordered, “Kneel.”_ **

**_His long, taloned fingers twitched as he obeyed, denying the instinct to simply take her for himself. She wanted that as well, but she also wanted to enjoy this, enjoy him. This male wasn’t just simply a quick fuck. He was hers._ **

**_Leaning down, she stroked one of his dreadlocks, her nails tracing his collarbone, the small hairs on his skin prickling upwards to reach for her. He grunted when she moved her face to the juncture of his neck and shoulder, whispering against his feverish heat, “Hands out.”_ **

**_He moved quickly, not even flinching when she brought out the rope she brought. Making a loop, the fibers glided across his skin, starting with the neck, to the chest, and to the stomach where she made small circles just above where the cloth on him was before. He shut his eyes as his muscles clenched, quivering under her touch. Caressing it upwards, she nipped and lathed each part of his flesh as the rope traveled, her hardened gaze meeting his as she wrapped the fibers around his wrists, kissing them._ **

**_“Bed. Now.”_ **

**_Against the mattress, he peered up at her, swallowing audibly as she leaned over him, her hair drifting over her shoulder. It was almost overwhelming for her, and she was the one in control. Picking up the sheer fabric she had set aside earlier, she ordered him to close his eyes._ **

**_“No peeking, or else this stops.”_ **

**_She didn’t know the name of the fabric, only knowing that it was smooth, and somewhat cool to the touch as silk was. First reenacting what she had done with the rope, this time, she didn’t halt just above his lower abdomen._ **

**_“Is this all right?”_ **

**_“Please,” he begged._ **

**_Smirking, she pressed her forehead against his, brushing her lips just on his mandibles before entrapping his member in the cloth, swirling it with the lightest of touches. He gasped, bucking into her hand for some kind of relief and she pulled away, clicking her tongue._ **

**_“Don’t move.”_ **

**_He growled, giving a slight nod only to hiss as her hand moved, the fingertips wandered, scraping the underside. Cupping him, her hold lingered, massaging, kneading him._ **

**_“Fuck,” he cursed with what little breath he had._ **

**_“Not yet,” she murmured, her voice softer than anticipated. He shuddered, as she fondled him, her hand moving more quickly, stroking him. When he was nearing his end, swelling, she breathed, “Let go.”_ **

**_He roared, arching into her touch, snapping the ropes. That part had been expected, but not the way he looked at her. He looked ready to eat her, panting as if he was trapped in a desert and she was an oasis._ **

**_“...Too much?” she asked, slightly confused as to why she didn’t feel shy._ **

**_She was curious, concerned if she had pushed him too far. He was trembling. “Temptress.”_ **

**_Holding his face, she said, “Show me how tempting I am.”_ **

**_He knelt once more, one hand in her hair and another at her back as his face dipped down to hers…_ **

“Ooman, it’s time for the day’s lessons! You’re late!”

Startled by the sound of the door having opened, Aya looked around in bewilderment, conflicted at seeing Than-guan by the door. Than-guan looked back just as surprised, then grinned. Aya was willing to bet if that female had eyebrows, they’d be waggling.

“Good dreams?”

Wait, that was a dream? She was dreaming?! Aya picked up her pillow, slammed it into her face, and screamed in frustration.

Gods fucking damn it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Oomans finally meet, the Ancients meet them, and a decision deciding the fate of countless lives will be made.


	22. The Trouble with Oomans Part 1/3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING:
> 
> Aya does have a form of PTSD and there are flashbacks and scenes that reference it. Such scenes occur in this chapter.
> 
> Also, slight sexual content or implied sexual content.
> 
> Reader discretion is advised.

“Aya, what happened here?”

The ooman blinked. “Er, doing some spring cleaning?”

The room was shining, sparkling, the cleanest that Bhu’ja had ever seen any room on the ship. All dwellings there had some form of old stains from having been resided in over the centuries, millenia even. This one though? Somehow it looked absolutely brand new. Normally it’d be impressive to accomplish such a feat, but in this case it was almost frightening with how spotless everything was.

“‘Spring cleaning’?”

Aya was flushed, flustered. “Er…”

“She’s nesting.” Bhu’ja turned to see Than-guan grinning, ready to burst into laughter. “Don’t worry, we didn’t give her any harmful chemicals. I didn’t think she’d take on the task with such vigor.”

Even the bedding looked new. How did she do that? How do you make fabric look new again? He was growing increasingly disturbed until he saw Aya smile nervously, “Too much?”

It was obvious that cleaning this much was making her happy. He still couldn’t help but wince at how rough her hands had gotten in the process. Bhu’ja sighed, kneeling down and taking out a medicomp tube, something he was carrying more frequently when it came to Aya. “No, and yes. It’s hard to deny your instincts. I just wish you were more careful.”

This time, he didn’t have to ask for her to give over her hands, those tiny hands. They were rough and calloused and covered in scars, but still soft and breakable compared to his own. “Won’t make any promises I can’t keep, but I will try.” He snorted, watching as the healing solution sealed over the scabs and small cuts. “I am  _ never  _ going to get used to that.”

And he could never get used to her. “How are you feeling?”

“...I honestly don’t know?” she said slowly. “Nothing bad as far as I can tell, I think? That’s, not something I’m used to.” Her stomach made a noise, and she rectified her response. “On second thought, I’m hungry.”

Bhu’ja nodded, helping her to her feet. Her abdomen was showing more and more of the pup’s presence. Bakuub told him that while she didn’t show as much as some females during this stage, it wasn’t unhealthy. Bhu’ja was just glad fewer were considering harming her since there was more evident proof she was pregnant. Strange since Aya said it could be compared to the size of “a cob of corn.” Bakuub was thankfully able to give him the approximate size in yautja standards. It amazed him that such a tiny thing could make such forceful kicks...But considering the mother maybe it wasn’t that surprising in retrospect.

“It’s a good thing we’re restocking on a nearby colony then.” 

Bhu’ja’s insides froze. That was what the few clans who had oomans were saying if anyone asked. While it was partially true, the Council of Ancients wanted the oomans to gather at one location. For what reason was unknown. Still, there couldn’t be that many oomans, and certainly not enough to be a threat, right? 

**_This ooman, in his centuries of existence, was the most terrifying being he'd ever come across._ **

On second thought…

“Aya also needs more natural air and sunlight than the artificial kind we can replicate.”

Than-guan was trying to provide some comfort for them all, while keeping Aya blissfully unaware of the potential dangers ahead. Or at least some pathetic part of him hoped she was blissfully unaware. Another wanted her armed to the teeth like he knew she’d be if she knew what could lay ahead of them. “A colony?”

“On Solano,” Than-guan specified, only confusing the ooman more. She decided to simplify something. “It’s not a hunting preserve. There should not be any danger.”

She mouthed ‘hunting preserve’, only reminded Bhu’ja just how much more he had to teach the ooman. “Okay, really stupid question since you’re all hunters, but why would it be dangerous otherwise? And, hunting preserve?”

Bhu’ja moved ever closer to Aya’s side, as if they could fight the potential unseen enemy together. Is this what his prey felt like when he wore his cloaking device? How many times had he mocked how his prey didn’t even seem to know they were prey? Had he truly always been so naive? “Hunting preserves are planets where we take Bad Bloods of multiple species to hunt. A few of them are specifically claimed to hunt hard meats.”

“...Does that include humans?”

He was unsure how to interpret her expression. She was scared, hurt, confused, but also yearning for something. What he would give to hear her thoughts. “We only take Bad Bloods, verified criminals not only by our people’s standards, but yours as well. Murderers, molesters, rapists-” He tried not to react to how she tensed at the last word. He had his suspicions, but that topic was not simply one he could demand from her. He doubted he could realistically demand  _ anything _ of her even if he wanted to. “We keep to the Code.”

He wondered if he really needed to say that last part considering it was the initial reason Aya was there at all.

“Okay,” she said. “And, you keep track of them?”

“We have a list of potential pey, listing their crimes,” he reassured her.

He wasn’t lying. They just weren’t very good at keeping those records. Once prey was hunted, no need to remember them.

Ironically, she was more amused then disturbed. Was she starting to get more used to their ways of life? “Now I’m wondering if you guys ever hunted down serial killers.”

“A few,” he answered honestly. Maybe this was a bad idea, but… “One of my best prey came from a preserve. He was, ‘yakuza’? I still have his sword. I believe the other oomans called it a ‘katana’.”

He’d been thrown off by the title of the blade since it reminded him of Kata’nu’s name, but decided it might be fitting.

The lights returned to her eyes. “You have a katana? A real katana?”

Again, what impressed this ooman was strange at times. “Yes, and maybe after your pregnancy, I’ll let you use it.”

Than-guan made a hand gesture to indicate she was ready to strangle him for even suggesting such a thing, but when the ooman beamed, her twitching eased, just a little.

“Holy shit, I could be like Beatrix Kiddo.” Huh? “Er, she’s the hero of a story back on Earth. She’s considered one of the greatest female warriors in Earth mythology.”

Bhu’ja knew more things about Earth culture than some might suspect. Bakuub had shared most of that information about him, but what neither knew was what inspired Aya.They didn’t know the stories she believed in, her gods, her memories…

She hadn’t even known she shared a name with a goddess.

They stopped off at the beast-training area, and Than-guan was ready to strangle someone when Aya was surrounded by the hounds, the beast masters nearly having a conniption.

“I still can’t believe you named it,” Than-guan grumbled.

The ooman really needed to stop looking so innocent, it made Bhu’ja feel so confused sometimes. “What’s wrong with Terminator?”

So many things, so very  _ many  _ things.

At least she was happy. He wanted to keep it that way.

“Bhu’ja, Than-guan? Can you help me figure out a name? For my baby, I mean?”

His chest ached, and there was no denying how warmed he felt. She was asking them to be a part of her life, her child’s life. Even if the offer wasn’t exclusive to him, it was more than he ever dared to hope for after all he’d put her through. He’d rather fight and decapitate more of his people that dared challenge them, than to ever see her bloodied in his arms again..

Than-guan glanced at him first before speaking, almost as if seeking permission. What a strange thing to consider, someone, a female, placing themselves on equal footing. He thought only Aya tried to do that. Maybe it was her influence.

“Normally, we name the pups a few days after their birth, to give them a befitting title. In addition, each clan has its own traditions.”

“And, I don’t have one,” Aya murmured. 

Did she really think that? Did she not consider them to be part of the same clan? Even if they weren’t mated, he had claimed protection for her, bound himself to her. Than-guan spoke before he did. 

“Does your bloodline have a tradition?”

Aya shrugged, “For the past three generations? My family has members from multiple races and cultures, we try to find something that has some translation in all of them.”

“Then continue that tradition, if you wish.”

The ooman nodded, wrinkling her nose in thought. “I’ve got a few in mind, I guess. But, I also thought that maybe there should be some part of the yautja with them? Maybe a second name in addition to an Earth one? I mean, if that’s not okay, then there doesn’t have to be.”

Than-guan folded her arms. “What do you think, Bhu’ja?”

This female was seriously testing him. “I think I should give Aya more lessons so she’ll be better able to make such a name for the future.”

That was, if there was a future. With the Ancients summoning the oomans…

No, he would make sure this future would be safe, even if he wasn’t allowed to be part of it.

* * *

Aya ran the comb Bhu’ja made through her hair, lost in thoughts both wonderful, and terrifying.

She was going to be a mother. This was really happening. She could feel her baby. She was going to be a mother of a child. Yeah, she was happy she knew the sex, but the gender? That was outside her control and she couldn’t give a fuck about that. She just needed to pick a name multicultural and as gender-neutral as possible. That was going to be interesting.

Still, that wasn’t nearly as daunting as her other thoughts. Those dreams of Bhu’ja, that was unexpected, but not wholly so. Fucking Stolkholm Syndrome. It felt so right, even imagining him to be more than whatever they were. More than friends? Yet it was also wrong. It felt like the universe was trying to push her towards him, and everything was happening way too fast.

She was still trying to figure everything out, find out how to stand and walk again both metaphorically and literally. Her life was a mess, more than it had been before and before was chaos. And it was getting harder to stay sane. Nightmares weren’t her only problem anymore. It was all just, intensifying...

**_“Aya, we have to go or else we’ll be late!”_ **

**_She was going to school for the first time. All the sounds and lights and noises were so loud though. It was all too much. It was scary and all she wanted to do was run. She needed to run. She needed to get out. But her mama was gripping her by the wrist, hard. It hurt, all of it hurt._ **

Aya shut her eyes, trying to block the things she wanted to forget. Fuck, she’d been a kid in that one. What good did it do to remember something like this? It wasn’t as if she was going to go back to Earth any time soon. Those kinds of social norms weren’t the same as this place.

**_“Mama, I’m not ready. It’s too much-”_ **

**_She wanted to cover her ears, shut her eyes. Anything to get rid of all this confusion._ **

**_“You’ll get used to it, Aya. You have to. This is what’s normal.”_ **

**_Why wasn’t she listening? Why wasn’t anyone listening? It was too much. All of it was too much._ **

**_“It just takes practice, practice makes perfect.”_ **

Shit, not now. She had to keep it all together. She always had to keep it together. If she didn’t, that meant she was weak, and if you were weak, everything falls apart.

**_“Go make friends. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.”_ **

**_She was scared, so scared. There were too many unfamiliar faces, hands trying to grab at her, the voices and words blending together to only make noise. Run, she wanted to run so far away. She was good at running. She could make it. She could escape._ **

**_Hands and voices reached for her again, pulling her back into the chaos._ **

Aya began panting, trying to regain her control, any piece of her sanity. She couldn’t do this again. She wouldn’t. She-

**_The scene began to change. She wasn’t a little girl anymore, not the one going to school for the first time. It wasn’t where her fear turned to anger and caused her to lash out. This time, she was in a dark room, one where something was horribly wrong._ **

She couldn’t afford to be weak.  _ Please _ , don’t do this. Please.

**_She couldn’t move. Why couldn’t she move? And why was she lying on her stomach? She never did that. It always made her feel vulnerable and why was there something heavy at her back? It was warm, and moving, and everything hurt. Why did everything hurt?!_ **

**_A voice whispered in her ear, “Stop crying. I’ll be done soon enough. We both just need a little practice...Practice makes perfect...”_ **

Aya yelped, falling backwards back onto the mattress, scrambling for something, anything to hold onto. Her fingers found her daggers and she thrust them in front of her, panting as sweat poured down her forehead. It felt like she was falling and losing everything.

**_“If you don’t control yourself, someone else will.”_ **

Phantoms tried to plague her, and with a grunt she slashed at them, nearly falling to her knees. She was prepared to throw the knife, just to break, smash  _ anything _ to rid herself of any semblance of the memories. Instead, she paused, looking at the handle, shaking all the while. Right, Bhu’ja made this for her. He made it so she could fight.

**_Her legs dangled over the edge for a moment, and she found herself hesitating. Not only was the height great, but every instinct in that moment was telling her to get away from him. This was the same guy that killed who knew how many back at the health care facility. He was the same one that had tried to kill her earlier in the week. Code or not, should she really trust him? Laying her hand on her belly, she inhaled, and pushed off, squeaking a little when warm, leathery arms caught her, and carefully steadied her onto the ground._ **

Trembling, she made herself stand up, thinking of where her feet would be if Bhu’ja helped steady her again, helping her to stand on her own. She was less wobbly than she had been before. Her grip on the dagger was almost painful, but it reminded her of a hand that helped her back onto her own feet before. Aya froze as stinging, burning trails wandered down her cheeks.

“Fuck, no, don’t…”

The last time she had cried, when was that?

**_"I meant it when I said you did well."_ **

**_If anybody asked why she was tearing up, she was going to blame it on her hormones._ **

Right, hormones. It was hormones getting to her. She couldn’t afford for it to be anything else. There was scratching and high pitched whining at the door. Aya huffed a small, bittersweet laugh as she opened it, allowing a small, dinosaur alien puppy inside her quarters.

Petting its head, she murmured, “Hey, Terminator.”

He rubbed his head against her, and since no one was around, Aya let him, needing something, someone to hold onto. Feeling her baby kick, she winced.

Whatever these feelings were, any hint of romance or lust was an illusion. It was a coping mechanism. None of it was real, and how could it be?

Not only did their species find hers revolting, but they  _ hunted  _ humans. Bhu’ja, she  _ knew  _ for a fact, hunted humans. If she hadn’t saved his life, then she would mean nothing to him. Everything he did he did for himself and his honor. He hadn’t wanted her. Why the fuck would he ever want her unless there was some kind of trauma involved telling him that he needed her?

What would Bhu’ja want with a weak, broken  _ human  _ like her? The only reason he was nice was because of this whole honor thing, and she was only feeling like this because she was stressed as hell. He made her feel like a person, which meant she would naturally want to cling to him. 

Pressing her face into Terminator’s shoulder, she whispered to her baby, even though she knew they couldn’t understand a damned thing she said.

“I’m sorry kid, I’m really fucked up. My mind hates me right now, and that’s not fair to anyone else. I promise I’ll try to be better though. I can be stronger, I can get through this.”

Feeling the baby kick once more, she found herself unable to stop the tears.

* * *

How does one describe yautja culture?

In short, pyramids. Pyramids everywhere.

Not all the buildings were pyramids, but there was no denying that a lot of them were the same series of structures. Most looked like ancient temples back on Earth, complete with greenery draping over them. It was a humid planet, one with a reddened sky instead of blue. Thankfully, the netting in her outfit kept her cool enough that it wasn’t too much of a bother. On top of that, Bhu'ja and the others had assured her that it was safe to breathe in the air.

Some parts of the city they were in reminded Aya of bazaars or farmer's markets. There were arrays or raw meats with an occasional form of vegetable. Most of them were roots, but there was occasionally something more colorful.

It was so weirdly,  _ normal _ . This was a species, a people, dedicated to hunting and gathering despite having highly advanced technology. It was a culture, one that humans couldn’t easily understand. Or, at least Aya had some difficulty processing it.

The entire time they explored and got supplies, Aya stayed by Bhu’ja’s side, ignoring most of the looks she received. What was surprising was the growls Bhu’ja might let out, warning the others off.

“You don’t have to do that you know,” she said, trying desperately not to let those growls affect her. Stupid ass dreams. Why was her mind betraying her so much? Hell, why was her body betraying her so much? She didn’t exactly have to wear diapers, but she still had to wear some kind of padding around her genital region because of some of the pregnancy symptoms. It was humiliating. Wait, getting off topic. “They shouldn’t attack me since I’m pregnant, right? Getting riled up isn’t going to do much good.”

His chest was still puffed to assert dominance. Aya only raised an eyebrow, not impressed. Yes, he is macho man, very fearsome indeed. Look how he pouts and poses with those muscles...Those really nice muscles and FUCK YOU STUPID BABY BRAIN!!! And fuck off Stockholm Syndrome! This sucked.

Bhu’ja looked like he wanted to say something, but just clicked his mandibles for a good few seconds. “How are your feet?”

“You’ve been oddly obsessed with carrying me lately,” she joked. “I’m pregnant, Bhu’ja, not totally incapable of walking.”

Her feet were a bit sore, but she’d had a lot worse and she’d been sitting around a lot. Exercise would do her some good, especially since she was outside. As in, actually outside and not some filtered greenhouse with UV lights. The garden back on the ship wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t much compared to real nature, even if it was nature on an alien planet.

And speaking of alien planets...Her eyes widened as a shadow flew above them, Bhu’ja quickly covering her with his form. She didn’t protest this time, but she did gape at the sight of a fire and gold colored pterodactyl. There were a few of them, all wearing collars and muzzles.

“Vy'drach,” Bhu’ja explained. “They live in deserts, and can survive radiation strong enough to kill most life forms. They are excellent prey.”

How someone could hunt something so magnificent was almost unfathomable. At least until one of them opened their mouths and screeched, revealing razor sharp teeth with retractable fangs, like a cobra. Shit, and she was bit-sized in comparison.

“And I’m sure I’m an excellent snack.”

“I’m sure there are some who wouldn’t mind eating you ou-” He cut off his own sentence sharply, his hold on her tightening for a moment before he released her. What was he going to say? What had he intended? “Watch.”

She nearly jumped after one of the vy'drach suddenly caught on  _ fire _ . The fuck?!  Aya barely refrained from cursing, trying not to in preparation when she gave birth to a baby with innocent ears and in need of proper vocabulary. If this was a vy'drach, did she want to know what River Ghosts were?!

Then, the vy'drach’s fire changed color, cycling through a rainbow with shades she didn’t know existed. It was like a mood ring, but prettier. Aya watched, mesmerized. “That’s, beautiful.”

In a terrifying way, but still beautiful. “They remind me of you, sometimes.” A chill went up and down her spine. She couldn't tell if it was good or bad. “You have a fire in you that cannot be matched.”

“Er, thanks?”

He just nodded, and Aya tampered down those embers of emotions right at the sparks. Bhu’ja started to take her by the hand to lead the way, stopping for a moment. “Are you all right?”

This was an alien world, one with endless possibilities of people and animals that could and likely would kill her. She should be freaking out, she should be afraid, but she wasn’t. Bhu’ja waited until she made the next few steps forward, moving beside him. “Yeah, I just needed a minute. It’s uh, it’s a lot to take in.”

Damn it, why was this guy always so patient? She basically ruined his life and he was literally holding her hand to guide her. A part of her screamed constantly that it had to be some kind of trap, that there was something he was hiding, something he’d try to control her with. As time went on, she started realizing she technically had more power over him than he did of her. How fucked up was that?

His hand squeezed around hers, and some of those thoughts waver, easing into the back of her mind to deal with later. The screams and yells turned to whispers, then nothing at all. She knew it was temporary, that those worries would haunt her later. Maybe it was a sin, but just for now, she wanted to be by his side.

As they walked through the colony, Aya tried to maintain her composure as she took in all the sights and all the people. Ironically, it was Bhu’ja who seemed more on edge than she was. He was constantly searching their surroundings, tense, ready for a fight. It felt like they switched positions somehow, and Aya didn’t think she liked it.

Just as she was about to ask Bhu'ja if they should return to the ship, that’s when she saw them. There were a couple of female humans and a male, one talking amicably with an albino yautja, another male dressed in rather fancy armor close behind. One woman had dark skin, and a scar on her cheek. The other was pale, wearing some kind of coat that reminded Aya of the medics aboard the ship. The male was of a race Aya couldn’t really decipher, not that it mattered. His scars were more of what caught her attention than anything else. The moment that Aya saw them, they saw her too.

The females lit up, all three humans bounding up to her with varying ranges of excitement. One of them, the darker female, jogged up to her, eyes lingering on Aya’s lower abdomen where her belly was growing more prominent. There was a grin, and a wink before she offered her hand. How the fuck should Aya interpret that?

Rampant thoughts ran through her mind in those seconds that she moved. Did these guys have kids too? Did they hunt? Did they have mates? How much of their humanity had they lost or given up? How does she even communicate with them? Aya barely let herself spend time with other humans back on Earth, socialization not really her thing. She tried to keep things professional, business-like both on Earth and with the yautja. Unfortunately, it was becoming a losing battle with the latter.

Feeling eyes on her, she looked out from the corner of her eyes. A lot of the yautja were watching them, clearly curious as to how humans interacted here. And with those eyes watching? What else was she supposed to do? Slowly, Aya returned the gesture unsure as their palms met, jumping at the first human contact she'd felt in what felt like forever.

“Hi, I’m Lex.”

"...Aya."

There was tenseness in the air. The other humans either didn’t feel it though, or they didn’t care about it. They weren’t even put off by Bhu’ja’s small glare. She couldn’t help but notice how a small group of yautja nearby had their hands moving towards their weapons as Bhu’ja was though.

“Kai,” the male, guy greeted. He was the only other awkward one there. At least Aya wasn’t alone in that regard. He gestured to the other female, who gave a small wave. “And this is Hoshi.”

What the fuck should Aya say? “Er...Nice to meet you?” she said awkwardly. At their confused expressions, she admitted, “Sorry, I haven’t seen another human in a long time. I don’t know how to feel or think about this to be honest. Since joining these guys…”

The one called Lex touched Aya’s shoulder, the latter trying and somehow succeeded from flinching at the touch. It’d been a long time since there was a human touch. It was weirdly more comfortable to be touched by the shoulder instead of someone just grabbing her hand. It felt like she was being acknowledged.

“Same here. It was a bit awkward for me when I first met Lex,” Hoshi shrugged. Then, the woman smirked, taking Aya by the arm. Aya had a bad feeling about this. “C’mon, let’s swap stories, maybe party a little.”

“...I’ve never been to a party?” Aya admitted awkwardly.

Aya felt herself begin to sweat a little when both ladies grinned, Kai starting to look cautious.

Fuck. She couldn’t panic, not now. 

Bhu’ja touched her shoulder, silently reassuring her. It felt like she had a choice, even if she wasn’t sure what it was. Why did he look so ready to fight? Was she in danger? Should she be worried? Was he in danger? Did he want her to stay by his side?  His touch softened even more, and he inclined his head. He was giving her permission to be around her own species?

“Are you sure?” she asked, laying her hand over his. 

It wasn’t permission she was seeking, but making sure he was okay with this. She didn’t like seeing him so uncomfortable. He was so high strung as of late. Bhu’ja nodded, “I’ll be nearby. Keep your mask close to you.”

Clutching it close, she looked back at the other humans and almost panicked. For a moment, she didn’t see the living people there. She saw the corpses from the medical facility, except, they weren’t upside down and lifeless. They were standing, wobbling, accusing eyes piercing what pieces of a soul she had left.

Lex and the other two reappeared, and Aya counted her pulse in her head, trying to stay calm. Right the last humans she met, had tried to shoot her and the ones before that? She killed to spare them from having an excruciating death. Shit, she killed people and these were people!

...She was so doomed.

* * *

The humans entered a building where there was, weirdly enough, seats and tables that weren’t over-sized. It made Aya realize just how much like a hobbit she’d been feeling.

When she approached one of the tables, Kai pulled out a chair. “Oh, um, thanks.”

Sitting down, she tried not to be startled when he pushed her closer to the table, but not by too much. There were other yautja in the room, most not bothering or seeming to notice them. A few looked older than others, complete with too many scars to count. 

Looking around, she saw that there were a few other humans around them. Not many, not even a dozen, but the fact that there were humans there at all was still weird. All of them were talking. Just, just talking. They were acting as if this were all normal. With the exception of some yautja drinking some alcohol, this could’ve been something similar to what was on Earth.

Lex, Hoshi, and Kai sat at the table with her, Kai having gotten some food for everyone there. It was a little bit of everything, which Aya was grateful for.

“Thanks, dude,” Hoshi exclaimed with surprise.

Kai snorted, sitting in the middle. “Dude? Isn’t that a bit old of a moniker?”

“Dude will  _ never _ go out of style.”

Lex rolled her eyes at Aya, both keeping to themselves. Well, for the most part. “Well, might as well get some better introductions in order. For example, how we got here, just as a starting point. “ Shit. How the hell should Aya go about that particular topic? “Like I said, I’m Lex. I’m originally from America. I was a mountain climber, explorer, and guide.”

Already this woman’s life sounded a lot more exciting than Aya’s had ever been. Damn it, Aya had already felt inadequate to the yautja, now this? Was she always going to be less than everyone in some way? No, bad thoughts. There was no reason to get jealous or agitated. Maybe it was just her hormones affecting her again. She hoped it was. Aya knew she was a bitch, but she didn’t want to be an asshole.

“I was hired by a company to navigate a temple of sorts, which turned out to be a part of a Blooding Trial. I met my mate, Scar, there.”

Was that Scar’s real name? A translation? Some sort of nickname? 

“There wasn’t a good first impression. He tried to kill me a couple of times, and succeeded to kill others in my group during his hunt.” She wrinkled her nose. “Honestly, I always have mixed feelings about that part.” 

Aya could relate.

“Scar and I saved each other in the pyramid.He marked me as a warrior, and we fought side by side. He saw me for my skills and my determination while all the humans I traveled with, I tried to guide? They ignored my experience, and it got them killed...The team didn’t listen, and Scar did.”

So, he valued what his mate, and before that a fellow warrior, had to say. That was more than lots of people back on Earth.

Aya wasn’t sure she wanted to share too many details of her own experiences yet, so she had someone else go first. To ensure this, she silently dissuaded them from talking directly to her by stuffing her mouth. Hormones, blame it on hormones. That, and she was eating for two. Anyone who wanted to complain could go screw off.

...Ooh, jerky.

Hoshi shrugged, not paying much attention to Aya’s attempts to be ignored. Yes, pregnancy hormones to the rescue!

“I was a nurse back in Kyoto, Japan.” 

Was she fluent in English, or was it the translator working? Whatever, Aya wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it. Whatever works for some people. 

“I was in a neighborhood, walking home, when a Bad Blood tried to kill me.”

Just, just randomly? One night she’s walking home and somebody, an alien, randomly tries to kill her? Aya wondered if it would be rude to make jokes about comparing the crime in Kyoto to being mobbed in New York...Yeah, it probably was. She better just keep her mouth stuffed with food. Jeeze, talking with people was hard.

“I saw my mate when she took down the criminal. She was injured heavily, so while she was unconscious, I took her home with me. It was difficult since I was so small in comparison to her, but I have my ways from treating people in the emergency room.” Aya needed to learn those ways, for educational purposes, of course. “I treated her the best I could, keeping her a secret from everyone else.”

Holy shit. So, yautja  _ could _ be LGBT. Awesome.

“She woke up a while later, and I found her in my kitchen with a raw turkey in her mouth...At night, in the dark. She surprised me so much that all I could say was something along the lines of that she shouldn’t have solid foods for a while because she’ll get sick. She didn’t listen, and started puking.”

Yautja could puke? Aya started worrying about some of the acquaintances she made. What if they were injured or in a similar situation? How should she help them?

“I half-walked her to the bathroom, where I got her water, broth, and in general helped her through the motions.” Wow, that was some extreme dedication. Good nurse. “She left in the morning only to come back to hours later. She was still sick and said she’d rather die in battle than because of an illness. I later found out her medicomp had been damaged and her ship was too far away, so she didn’t really have many options when it came to getting medical help.”

Hoshi smiled fondly, warmly. Aya had only seen such looks in fictional films or TV series. Finding that kind of stuff in real life was next to impossible, a fairy tale. Yet, Hoshi looked like she was privy to a secret no one else knew, that no one else could  _ ever _ know. The kind of secret that could make the world a little brighter, or that the world could destroy that light and someone didn’t want to take a chance with that.

“I treated her, and she asked why I helped her. I told her I was a healer, and she was my patient. She said I had ‘good hands’, and that she was in a dilemma since not only had I saved her life, but I knew too much about her and her people.” 

Hoshi hummed, gripping onto her cup just a little tighter. Lex had spoken so easily about what happened, but the rest of them? There were reasons all were tense. What would they say? What would they think? How different were all of their situations?

“By all logic and reason, she should’ve killed me, but she offered for me to join her. Me and my ‘good hands’. She informed me that if she took me, it would be a lifetime, and I could never return to Earth. I accepted, and on the ship, we courted one another enough to become mates.” 

Hoshi grinned, taking a sip from her drink. 

“To be honest though, I think we were both developing feelings long before we started courting. It feels  _ right _ to be here with her.”

**_Not wanting to leave the warmth, she let herself be selfish and stay in his arms, if only to get better sleep than she had in months_ ** **_._ **

Fuck.

Aya didn’t say anything, just stuffing her mouth more. If she kept doing that, she wouldn’t have to talk to anybody, and they could talk themselves to exhaustion. Kai re-positioned himself in his seat, grimacing as he rubbed one of his legs. “I’m originally from Hawaii, one parent’s Vietnamese and the other was from the islands. I served three tours in the United States Army.” 

Jesus Fucking Christ, why did everyone have these complex backstories?  What was she going to say? She was a screaming little damsel that whacked everything that pissed her off, got lucky since she was pregnant, was abducted by aliens and now having a midlife crisis? 

“It was on my second tour that we were attacked by yautja. My future mate tried to hunt me, and uh…” He flushed, clearing his throat. “Generally, just to catch people off guard and for humor’s sake, I er, kind of flirt`when I’m nervous?”

...What?

“So when he landed in front of me, and roared, I said, “‘Holy shit you’re gorgeous!’”  No way. No  _ freakin’ _ way. Oh gods, how the bloody fuck was this guy still alive?!  “And then I threw sand in his face.”

Aya buried her face into her hands, groaning at the secondhand embarrassment. She earned a pat on the back for it from Lex while Hoshi tried not to cough on her drink. Yeah, it wasn’t going to be a good idea for Aya to stuff food in her face if it was becoming a choking hazard.

“Every time we encountered each other, I made all kinds of corny puns while flirting. At some point my mate appeared on top of me, understandably more than ready to kill me, and I er, I kind of got a hard on?” He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of himself. “Sorry if that seems a bit crude.”

“Honey, most of the people here are mated to yautja. That kind of stuff doesn’t bother us anymore,” Lex chuckled.

Aya tried not to outwardly react as her imagination tried to run wild again. Stupid dreams. Stupid baby brain. Stupid  _ her _ .

“Anyways, that shocked him the most, I guess. I think? It was enough that I managed to get away.”

Aya was about to say something biting and maybe sarcastic when something about his tone shifted. The air felt heavier, and the smile on Kai’s face was a lot more fake. She knew that smile. She’d made that one for most of her life, enough to know what it looked like on another human being.

“After my third tour, my yautja was at my house. I didn’t see him, but after serving in the military and after having so many close calls, you can just  _ sense _ these things.” Aya had never been in any kind of military faction, but she had some idea of what that was like. Hell, the first time she encountered Bhu’ja she could sense him before she could see him. Unlike Kai though, it was probably just an adrenaline thing for her. “He said he wanted to fight, and I showed him one of the injuries I got...”

Kai lifted up his pants leg. The man was wearing a prosthetic, one that was heavily altered with yautja tech.

“I let him know I wasn’t exactly in the best condition, and apologized for being a disappointment.”  He smiled sadly. There were some expressions, wounds, that just couldn’t be described by mere words. This one was similar to grief, grief of one’s self and the loss of potential. It was disappointment in what someone, you, had become. Aya knew that well.  “I wasn’t exactly in the best place at the time. I mean, all the fighting took a toll, and I’d grown numb to death.” Kai chuckled bitterly. “He was put off by what I said, and unexpectedly wished me well in my ‘retirement’.”

His breath was wavering, and Aya hesitated, carefully placing her hand over his. He looked up in shock, not having expected her attempts at being compassionate. She hadn’t been expecting it either. It was also kind of selfish, but she wanted to hear more.

“I’m not sure what I was thinking when I confessed I had always wanted to be an astronaut. I joked, or at least I tried to, that it’d be kind of nice to be among the stars, just _once_ before I died.” Kai winced. “I didn’t tell him how I thought I was going to die since I thought it wouldn’t matter all that much to him.”

When Aya squeezed his hand, he squeezed back, reaffirming his presence to both of them. It was a bit obvious from how everyone exchanged looks that Kai had been considering taking his own life. In spite of that, there was affection in his tone at the painful memories. 

“He took me up on his spaceship, and when I saw all those stars? As silly as it sounds, it helped me feel alive enough to have a little hope.”

And there was that secret smile. It was the same one that Lex had when talking about Scar, Hoshi about her mate, and now Kai. Aya wondered if she would ever have that kind of smile.

“I got a bit better every day after he left, but I missed him too. When I saw him on Earth again, I took a risk...I offered to spar with him, or at least try to.”

Seriously, how the fuck was this guy still alive?

“I mentioned I wasn’t what I once was, but thanks to him I was getting stronger. So, for one day every month, we’d meet up at night, and we would spar. We did that for nearly a year, maybe a bit longer. Then, one night, just out of the blue he asked if I was serious when I called him ‘gorgeous’.” 

Kai inhaled, anxiety visible in his form.

“I honestly told him, ‘I never say anything I don’t mean’." Kai grinned, shining brightly to the point where he was radiant. "Somehow I knew what he was going to ask before he even said it... I said  _ yes _ , and it was the best decision I ever made.”

...So, everyone here came of their own volition? 

They had choices, even if at least one was a bit of a life and death situation? 

No one was _truly_ coerced? 

Aya’s fists clenched in her lap as she tried to content her anger at the thought of it all. Damn it, she shouldn’t,  _ wouldn’t _ , be jealous. Everyone had their stories, their pasts with problems or pains, and hers were minuscule.

“So, Aya, what’s your story?”

Shit, she was out of food to stuff her mouth with.

* * *

“Bhu’ja, we need to stop listening,  _ now _ .”

The warrior couldn’t tear his eyes from the screen. The mask was recording everything, all of the oomans’ stories told, all except Aya’s.

“They haven’t shown her any signs of harm, and there is no threat.”

“I need to make sure no one hurts her, Than-guan, not even the Ancients.”

Than-guan narrowed her eyes. “Are you disobeying me,  _ male _ ?” He stopped, gathering the strength to defy her when she said, “It’s dishonorable for us to have been spying on them for this long. Aya is not your prey, and neither are they. She’s kept information about parts of her past from us for a reason. Do you think after all of this, whatever is involved in her past, this is how she’d want us to learn about it? About her? Through secrets and trickery?”

He hadn’t meant to listen in, not even to half of what’d been said. “But-”

“Bhu’ja, you need to let this go,” Than-guan said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Her tone was more maternal now, and less that of someone trying to control him. It reminded Bhu'ja of his brother. “Don’t take her choice from her.”

His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, and Bhu’ja shuddered. With a loud growl, he forced himself to shut off the mask, regretting it the second he did.

Please,  _ please _ , be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: The Vy'drach is mentioned in Aliens versus Predator: Extinction, and is nicknamed "The Phoenix".


	23. The Trouble with Oomans Part 2/3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Pregnant Lady Kicks Predator Butt:
> 
> So, everyone here came of their own volition?
> 
> They had choices, even if at least one was a bit of a life and death situation?
> 
> No one was truly coerced?
> 
> Aya’s fists clenched in her lap as she tried to content her anger at the thought of it all. Damn it, she shouldn’t, wouldn’t , be jealous. Everyone had their stories, their pasts with problems or pains, and hers were minuscule.
> 
> “So, Aya, what’s your story?”
> 
> Shit, she was out of food to stuff her mouth with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter than previous ones, but I felt it needed to be for soon to be obvious reasons.

All these people had these amazing stories with romance and action, and Aya’s first distinct memory was whacking a yautja and half expecting him to have a halo of stars or birds over his head like some sort of cartoon character. And trying to go into details? How the fuck should she do that? These guys poured their hearts out though, so maybe she should try?

Here they go. “I was in a medical facility for a checkup, and a bunch of kiande amedha showed up. Three yautja came to stop everything, humans attacked meaning they were considered prey, and I uh, I was one of the few survivors.” 

Taking a sip of her drink, she sighed. She did _not_ want to go into too many details of this shit. How could she even begin to tell them that not only did she kill _humans_ , but that more than half the time she felt like she was a headless chicken running around? No knowing what the fuck she was doing?

“I saved one of their lives, meaning they either had to kill or give me something of equal value, and since I’m pregnant, killing me was out the window. A lot of weird ass shit happened that prevented me from living with humans again, and uh...Here I am.”

Yeah, she ruined Bhu’ja’s life by turning him into her babysitter. The others didn’t say anything at first, absorbing her shitty summary. “So, the baby’s not your yautja’s?”

What? Aya shook her head. “No, she’s not Bhu’ja’s. It was a human back on Earth.” 

Damn, Aya wished she could take something that her mind would whisk her away from this situation. Drugs and alcohol weren’t exactly available, or a good idea while pregnant. And she had some bad experiences with that stuff anyways, so the moment she thought of it, disgust gnarled at the pit of her stomach. 

Tentatively, she said, “Bhu’ja, is patient with me, I guess. He’s helped me adjust.”

What the hell could she say? What _should_ she say?

“Same here,” Kai said. “Before I got onto his ship, we had used his echo device-thing to communicate. It was a bit creepy since he had all these voices speaking for him, some half-screaming in terror or cursing, but we found a way that worked.”

Aya hesitated, “What’d you do on the ship then while you were traveling to your clan’s place?” Kai’s smirk made something dawn on Aya. “ _Seriously_? I thought you said you only got a translator when you made it back home.” 

“Didn’t need one at the time,” Kai chuckled, his eyes growing dark. Aya felt like she was dying inside again as her evil, atrocious imagination trying to get the better of her. “Like I said, we learned to communicate in our _own_ ways.”

Hoshi coughed, spluttering a little at Kai’s forwardness, but unlike Aya she was able to brush it off. Hoshi whispered, flushed, “Um, we uh, we also tried out some things while we were ‘courting’.”

Lex raised a hand, “Scar and I did _it_ in the snow, in the Arctic, right after a battle with a hard meat queen. It was amazing.”

That caught them _all_ off guard.

“You had sex, with a yautja, in sub-zero temperatures?!” Aya coughed out. “Holy shit, ya’ll are crazy.”

“You haven’t had sex yet?” Lex asked in surprise. Aya narrowed her eyes, and gestured to her pregnant belly. “Not what I meant. You haven’t had sex with one of _these_ guys?”

Oh gods, was it gonna be one of _those_ talks? Why was everything about sex? Or about guys? This was such a cliche. Well, at least Hoshi’s partner was female, but it was the same concept since they were talking about their mates. “I didn’t know how it was physically possible until recently, to be honest. And even with what I understand now, I’m still wondering how the hell _you_ people could have done it.”

Ooman and yautja interspecies sex wasn’t exactly a part of the sex ed video. If it had been, Aya _knew_ she’d be dead from her mind imploding.

“Well, when a human and a yautja get hot and horny-”

Aya glared.

“Look, they’re big-” Kai unhelpfully made gestures to indicate the _size_ of the males, Lex and Hoshi arching brows. “-And there’s no denying that. But a real warrior knows how to use it right so that there’s no pain involved, not unless you _want_ it.”

**_“...the male will always stop if a female commands it, even in the middle of sex. The most important thing is that it’s comfortable, and pleasurable.”_ **

“...Want it?” All three gestured to various scars, making Aya’s face burn in both horror, and mortification. These guys were into some major BDSM. Fuck, how’d they even survive that shit?! “I thought those were from hunting or something like that.”

“Kind of,” Lex said. “Hunting each other is one hell of an experience. Adrenaline makes it all better.” Playing cat and mouse was sexy for them? Aya tried to wrap her head around it, and failed. Some people were just into really weird kinky shit. Wait, she shouldn’t judge. She thought the yautja dressed like strippers. And people liked strippers...Including her, but just a little bit. “And the claws, and those _tusks..._ ”

Kai was biting his bottom lip and Lex looked like she was in the middle of a daydream. Hoshi was smiling, her eyes downwards in a shy way, but lustful all the same. Aya didn’t want to know what they were imagining. It wasn’t something she’d given much thought to. Lately, whenever she felt horny she’d lock herself in her room or avoid anyone that could smell her ‘mating musk’ as some put it. And if it happened where she couldn’t escape, she decided to fake it until she made it.

For an extremely sinful moment, Aya considered letting herself imagine that kind of stuff too, but ultimately didn’t give in. She couldn’t afford to think of that. Plus, she didn’t want Stockholm Syndrome to get the best of her. Looking at the people in front of her, she recalled none of _them_ had been kidnapped. They willingly, _enthusiastically_ , traveled with the yautja. And Aya, she initially had little choice in the matter.

Their feelings were real, as fucked up as those feelings were. As for Aya? It was getting hard to tell what was real at all anymore.

Lex leaned closer.

“Aya, did you have someone back on Earth?”

…

..

.

The glass in Aya’s hand cracked, admittedly a little impressive considering the strength of yautja technology and tools. Hoshi immediately got up, pulling out some kind of medical kit to tend to Aya’s hand...Which was apparently bleeding a lot. Damn increased blood flow.

The baby kicked sharply in response to that thought. Sorry kid.

“It’s not that bad-” Aya started, only to earn a fierce glare from Hoshi.

Doctors have always been a bit scary. No wonder a yautja ended up mated to this one, and a female at that.

“Look,” Aya murmured. “I’m uh, not that entirely comfortable talking about it. The... _Father_ , and I weren’t exactly close, and he’s one of the few reasons I’m glad I don’t have to be on Earth anymore.”

Fuck, why did she have that severe of a reaction? Was she just that stressed? Was that why she was seeing so many things she knew wasn’t real? 

“Aya?”

She was never going to Earth again. She couldn’t see all of the people she’d left behind. None of the good, bad, or otherwise. These were the only humans she might know for the rest of her life, and...They might be the only ones who could understand. There was a doctor here who had seen gods know how many battle wounds in her career. There was a soldier who bore those kinds of battle wounds. And Lex? In some ways she and Aya had a lot in common, if only for the part where Lex was brave enough to give in to her instincts and feelings.

Aya didn’t want to be pitied, but she wanted the tightness around her heart to go away.

Hell, she knew she would probably regret it later, but if just for one moment, she wanted someone to hear, and not be disappointed in her.

“...Can I confess something to you guys?” They looked at her in confusion, and expectation. “I mean, it’s not like we’ll meet up too many times after this, if ever. I’m grateful for the life I have now but, it’d be nice to have a human ear to listen and someone human to talk to.”

Hoshi finished working on Aya’s hand, the medicomp gel working its miracles again. Old scars still cut deep, but newer ones were getting harder to form. “We can talk about whatever we want here.”

Kai chuckled, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure we’ve all done some shitty or stupid stuff, or just need to vent. I mean, you’re pregnant, lady. I’m fairly sure that you might need it more than some of us.”

Not really. She wasn’t the one who fought in war zones, or had to save lives. These people were heroes, and she was just the idiot trying to survive.

Some of the few yautja in the area were shifting in their seats, briefly gaining Aya’s attention, but none of them were familiar. Thinking deeply, she knew that the likelihood of their clans meeting again wasn’t that great. And, she needed advice that the yautja couldn’t give her. These two might be the only ones who could understand. 

“Look, the, the father…” She inhaled, shivering as she confessed, “I hadn’t wanted him, or _anyone_ really. He uh, he took advantage of a time when I was vulnerable.”

Why was it so hard to say it out loud? Why did it hurt so much? Even after all the words people had told her, after everything she tried to convince herself of, it still hurt. She just wanted it to stop.

  
“...He raped me.”

It always hurt actually talking about it. It was partially why she tried to avoid the topic.The other parts were another story. 

In her peripheral vision, she could’ve sworn she saw some kind of flinch coming not just from some of the humans, but a couple of the yautja. No one said anything though, so she might’ve just imagined that the extraterrestrials heard her. Aya’s fists clenched. 

“Look, can you not tell the others? No one else here knows and I don’t want them to see me as weak.”

She had so much to protect. If anyone else found out, if anyone in her clan found out, then she’d lose everything she had left. Fuck, Bhu’ja said she was a warrior, worthy of his people. What would he think if he found out that part of her past? How much would change?

Even now she could imagine Bhu’ja or Than-guan or any of the yautja sneering in disgust at her. The ones she’d been letting herself get close to always tried to keep her happy, relaxed, and complimented her. She wasn’t used to getting complimented, and it felt nice...Unless it was about her being strong.

All the yautja on the ship saw how she fought off what they considered the ultimate prey, and somehow that one instance made her a badass, a warrior...If they only knew how much of her life she’d spent running literally, and metaphorically.

“Why would they think you’re weak?”

Aya flinched, not willing to look them in the eyes. “Because, they think I’m some sort of great warrior after the way I’ve fought by their side, fought for them, and for myself. Half that time I didn’t know what I was doing. I just tried to do what’s right with mixed results. I mean, generally saving someone’s life is a good thing. Here? It just imprisons people.”

A hand fell over hers.

“You’re not weak.”

She blinked up hesitantly, seeing three faces. Kai smiled, and Aya flinched when she saw his prosthetic in his other hand. “Want to check this out?” What? “I swear, it’s really cool. Press it in the right places, it makes all kinds of flashy noises.”

“I, what?”

Kai snorted, “Lady, I’m a soldier, one that swore to defend those in need. While fighting, I lost my leg. It’s not the same as your situation, but since losing it I once thought my life was over, that nothing about me was worth living for.” He got up on his one leg, placing the fake one on the table. “I’ve learned that what happened to me doesn’t define what I am. Am I a cripple? Hell yeah. But I’m also a protector. I’m an asshole. And best of all? I’m who I choose to be, leg or not.”

He lost so much, and he was still able to stand tall, both metaphorically and, somehow, literally. 

Lex nodded. “There’s a reason Scar marked me as a warrior, and it wasn’t just because he was attracted to me. It was because he saw something in me. I realized later that he recognized me as his equal.” The woman leaned forward. “I’m human, I can be considered prey, and he still chose me even though I was more than afraid at least half the time. Now? I’m the mother of his pups, and I’ve never felt happier, or safer, in my life.”

That was one hell of a statement. Lex was happy among aliens, away from the only home she’d truly known. This place though? The entire culture? 

Hoshi shrugged, “I’m nowhere near as extreme as you guys, but as a female physician, I’ve had my fair share of sexual harassment in the workplace, _and_ I’ve helped those who have been sexually assaulted. And, I’m no warrior, but my mate, those who truly matter that are close to me, have never thought of me as weak. You don't always have to be tough to be strong.”

Kai inclined his head, carefully setting back down into his seat. “We won’t tell if you don’t want us to, but you need to know that you’re not weak, Aya. From what I know, you never have been.”

Aya didn’t know if she could ever believe that, but at least her shoulders didn’t feel so heavy. She wasn’t all that comfortable talking about that part of her past, but maybe this was a start? Trying to relax, she said, “Thanks. I didn’t know I needed that.”

“No problem,” Lex said. After a pause, the woman asked, “How about we do something fun? I mean, humans suck, but there were times where being human isn’t all bad. There’s gotta be something you miss?”

It was stupid, insanely stupid, but Aya knew what she wanted to do. After all, when was she going to get another opportunity like this? “Karaoke?”

At least those grins weren’t quite so menacing now. “Sure, let’s see if the other humans want in on it. And maybe we can play ‘Never have I ever’ later? Sans any alcohol.”

Cliche, this was all cliche as hell.

But, it was also kind of fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue:
> 
> Aya had thought that Bhu’ja and the other yautja would be back by now.
> 
> “Never have I ever punched my boss,” Aya said, nearly snorting as she watched Kai and Lex take another swig of alcohol. “Kai? Really?”
> 
> Kai coughed, “Classified.”
> 
> “You’re not exactly on Earth anymore, and we’re with aliens. That kind of stuff isn’t a big secret anymore.”
> 
> “...Never have I ever dealt with Men in Black.”
> 
> Surprisingly, it was Hoshi who took the first drink. Kai reluctantly did the same, and Lex seemed a bit conflicted. “What counts as Men in Black?”
> 
> “Government people obsessed with extraterrestrials.”
> 
> Pondering it for a moment, Lex sighed, and took another shot. “Man, Scar’s gonna kill me. He’s only seen me drunk a couple of times before, and I’m getting sloshed here.” Seeing the near empty bottle, Lex chuckled, “Why is the rum always gone?”
> 
> More than a few nearby jokingly sang, “A pirate’s life for me.”
> 
> Aya rolled her eyes, raking her hand through her hair. While the others had alcohol, she drank soup. It was a strange thing. She didn’t think she could socialize very much, but if it was with these guys, maybe-
> 
> A loud bang sounded as the doors to the room shut. Multiple humans moved quickly to surround the non-armed or non-fighters, Aya included. Hell, more than a few were surrounding her and her unborn baby, creating a protective circle. In front of all of them was an older yautja, one with a cape. He had an aura that radiated authority, danger pulsing in the air around him.
> 
> Aya narrowed her eyes, hands reaching for the daggers at her side.
> 
> Seeing the humans’ wariness, the yautja held up a hand. “Peace oomans. I am a representative of the Council of Ancients, and I have questions only you people can answer.”


	24. The Trouble With Oomans Part 3/3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: 
> 
> Aya does have a form of PTSD and there are flashbacks and scenes that reference it. Such scenes occur in this chapter.
> 
> Also, slight sexual content or implied sexual content.
> 
> Reader discretion is advised.

One, why the hell was a member of the Council of Ancients there? Weren’t they all on Yautja Prime?

Two, what the fuck would any one of them want with ‘oomans’? Aya had been told how many times by now that the Ancients were among the groups that detested her species. Tolerated on occasions, but still hated. What could her people possibly offer?

Kai glanced at the others, measuring something that Aya wasn’t sure of before standing in front of the crowd of humans. Lex was at his side, the silent acknowledgement from the few humans around recognizing these two as the most qualified. Hoshi stayed by Aya’s side, keeping a steady hand on the pregnant woman’s wrist, and likely mentally preparing to jump into action if Aya’s health was endangered.

Inclining his head in a submissive fashion, Kai said, a hand over his heart, “How may we serve, Ancient One?”

Aya began cursing inside her mind again, and she was coming up with very colorful vocabulary. This yautja was supposedly one of the rulers of the entire species, and the humans’ fates could easily be changed on his or any other member’s whim.

The Ancient one glanced at Aya, namely her lower abdomen, then gestured for everyone to sit wordlessly. Some complied more readily than others, Kai being the last to do so after he glared at the ones who were more reluctant. All recognized the authority figure though, or at least understood the power he could hold over everyone there.

He gestured for another yautja to get him a drink, then leaned forward. “As I said, I am here to ask you all a very simple question, and I need an honest answer from all of you…Actually, a few.”

Damn it, was this guy trying to give them heart attacks from the stress being distributed around? Aya winced, unable to stop the small noise of pain as the baby kicked. Hoshi moved closer, putting a hand on Aya’s shoulder. The Ancient One looked considerate, and tired as he sighed.

“Over the thousands of years I have lived, I have witnessed your species grow from gatherers wandering in the wild to creating entire cities, and now beginning space flight.” Shit, how old was this guy? “Many of us yautja still consider you prey, valuable prey, but over the past few centuries it has become more and more evident that you are being valued for something else.”

Huh?

“And that is why I am here. Soon, I and many of the others on the Council may find ourselves battling Cetanu, the God of Death, the undefeatable warrior. We are not long, not by our people’s sense of time.” The humans started to relax a little, still cautious but curious. “We have found that some of our previously held notions may not continue after our deaths. Our laws and beliefs may linger, but you oomans are becoming less and less like prey. Some have been speaking of including more of you in our ranks, in working together in battles, in fighting side by side. Some of _you_ have already done this in your own ways.”

Okay, what was his point?

“It is because of this, I must ask your viewpoint on whether or not your species is worthy, worthy of creating an alliance with the yautja.”

...What?

Kai nearly fell out of his seat in shock. “I, I beg pardon, Ancient One, but, what?”

Thankfully the guy was more amused than pissed off. “Do you believe your species is worthy of an alliance with ours?”

Aya didn’t know what prompted her to answer, to say anything at all, but she did.

“No.” 

There was also an eerie sense of calm over her.

“No, humanity is not worthy.”

He tilted his head. “Oh?”

Aya grimaced. “There are reasons that there aren’t many humans here.” She gestured to everyone around her. “These people were chosen because the yautja who brought them found something of value, something worthy, and something honorable about them. The rest were viewed as prey or unworthy, and I think most of the people here can understand why.” 

She kept her head lowered, but not too much.

“Here we have soldiers who fought for honor and justice. We have healers who have battled in their own wards. We have warriors who were more than willing to fight by and for your people. And not all of humanity can do that, or are willing to. Many still harm their own kind despite knowing their actions are wrong, they don’t care.”

Kai nodded, “Though I hate to admit it, I’ve had to fight beside people on Earth who despised me for traits of mine beyond my control. I was a soldier who killed Bad Bloods, one who has both witnessed and experienced their handiwork.”

Lex agreed. “My knowledge and experience was sought to help ascertain fame, power, and wealth by those who did not deserve it. And even with that knowledge and experience, my group ignored my warnings and let greed blind them. One of the first things those in power back on Earth would want is _more_ power, and they will try to use or manipulate you, as foolish as that is.”

“Not to mention the fact that many governments are aware of your existence,” Hoshi said. “Officials tried to take the body of a Bad Blood back on Earth. My mate had me help her locate information in one of their facilities.” Wait, Hoshi went in as a spy?! Actually, that explains a few things, including the Men in Black aspect. “They sent uninformed squadrons to try to track you down, many of the men being claimed as prey. They also wanted to gather genetic material from kainde amedha without considering the repercussions...They used their own people as bait. Although, I thought my mate sent the information to Yautja Prime about that.”

“She did,” the Ancient One confirmed.

Hoshi blinked, “Then I must ask, why would you even consider having humans and yautja become allies at all?”

This guy was patient. His claws were digging holes into the table from receiving an inquiry rather than giving one. Hoshi paled, tensing before moving slightly away from Aya, as if to keep the pregnant lady from being torn to shreds in the Ancient One’s plausible anger-induced state should he fall into it.

“You’re here, among us right now. Why not see if something more can come of it?”

“Because neither of our peoples are ready.”

It was someone from the back this time. It was one of the people who didn’t have any weapons at all, one of the people who couldn’t fight. They inhaled and exhaled. “Your people aren’t in a position where they’re ready to make such an attempt. And as for humans? We still have prejudice among our own people based on appearance and cultures and beliefs...I can’t see humanity accepting the yautja, especially with a past where our kind has been your prey.”

“...Do you think oomans will ever be ready?”

“Maybe in a distant future, but not anytime soon,” Aya said. “We’re still growing, and learning. Acceptance, tolerance, that’s not just something you can teach. You have to want to at least try, and too many of either species aren’t willing to make that choice.”

That’s what it all came down to, didn’t it? Choices.

More human voices spoke up, each taking a turn. Some were more hopeful than others, some realistic, some not. The Ancient One listened to each one, but Aya was fairly certain his decision was already made.

“...Thank you, for your input. I will not say if your words have influenced my decision, but I will admit that parts of my perception on humanity have been _slightly_ altered. You may return to your clans safely, or you can spend more time here. None will harm you in the duration of your stay.”

The doors opened, and the Ancient One left with a swoosh of his cape. Aya watched him go. “Lex, you gave Scar his name, right? Think I could give this guy one? I mean, he didn’t say what his name was. I don’t know what to call him.”

“Please don’t. That entire experience was just, wow. I’d rather face another kainde amedha than do that again.”

Hoshi cleared her throat, “Out of curiosity, what _would_ you name him?”

“Ever see the Secret of N.I.M.H? That’s the Great Owl.”

Kai looked livid, his voice cracking as he whispered harshly, “You’re focused on _that_ right now? And Hoshi, when did you get into a government facility?”

“To help my mate get the Bad Blood’s corpse out so no evidence could be left behind,” Hoshi drawed, pouring more alcohol into her shot glass and taking a swig. “Damn, I wish this was sake, or gin. Anyways, when you’ve got a labcoat, you can get away with more than most. That, and I’m Asian and the people on the base thought I was Chinese...For once, I’m glad for racial profiling.”

“It should _not_ be that easy!” Kai spluttered. Then, he paled. “Ugh, then again I remember some of my higher ups being utter dolts. Maybe it’s not that unbelievable.”

Aya was honestly curious, and wanted to know more, but at the same time, she was exhausted. All of this had taken a lot out of her. “Guys, I think I need to head back to my clan’s ship.”

“Need an escort?” Lex offered.

Thinking for a moment, Aya shook her head. “I think i’m good. I just need some alone time, no offense. A lot’s happened and-”

“Anytime,” Lex assured her. “And, I don’t know when or if we’ll all meet again, but if we do, the next round’s on me, and you’ll owe me some baby pictures.”

Aya let out a small huff of a laugh. “Yeah, okay. Seriously though, thank you. I haven’t felt... _human_ , in a long time. This was nice.”

She didn’t just mean how she was able to be around humans when she said that. All this time, since what that bastard did to her, she’d been feeling lost, adrift with no place to rest. It always felt like she had to keep moving wherever she went or whatever she did. A small part of her was starting to feel at peace, and she wanted that to last for as long as she could.

All exchanged farewells, the majority of humans remaining to talk about what happened.

Outside, Aya nearly walked into the Great Owl er, the Ancient One. She stepped back, and bowed her head, “Apologies Ancient One.”

“...Walk with me.” Shit. Obeying, much to her irritation, she walked beside him as they trekked through the colony, in the direction of her clan’s ship. “The one who takes care of you, does he treat you well?”

Did he mean Bhu’ja? “...Bhu’ja has treated me better than most humans I’ve ever met. Sometimes, I’m not sure what to do with that. In some ways, I feel relieved for it, and sometimes I feel frightened with how strange it is.”

“Ah yes, you were the first to speak up against your species,” he uttered. Holy moly this guy was big. She was just starting not to feel like a hobbit, and this guy appears. Damn it. “You also spoke of others being worthy, but not you?”

She winced. “I saved Bhu’ja’s life back on Earth, and from that he owed me by your people’s Code. Since he can’t kill me, and he did admittedly injure me, he’s supposedly honor-bound to make sure that my baby and I will survive.”

“And you dislike this?”

“I don’t like the idea of anyone being bound to me against their will,” she said. “And Bhu’ja, he’s one of the more decent people I’ve met. He doesn’t deserve to be a prisoner.” Chuckling bitterly, she said, “I just wish I knew of a way to free him, while making sure at least my baby is safe.”

He pointed to a bench, and Aya realized she’d been walking a little funny. Right, her feet were still a bit sore. She nodded, sitting down, and felt even punier when he sat next to her. Her mind began to scream and curse even more profusely than before, and she had to resist the strong urge to punch the guy just to get him away. As if sensing her discomfort, he sat a little aways from her.

Fuck, this was creepy. Should she make a break for it?

“I will not harm you.”

**_"I will not harm you."_ **

For reasons beyond her ability to process, that simple phrase calmed her a great deal. “I’m used to expecting danger. Apologies.”

“Understandable.” Aya really didn’t like that tone. “You wish to free this Bhu’ja from his duty to you?”

“Yes,” she answered without hesitation. “I just don’t know how.”

“...I might.” She looked up at him in surprise, and he continued. “He is sworn to ensure you and your pup’s survival. What better way to do that then to make sure you can not just survive, but thrive among us?” When she stared a bit longer, he clarified. “You could become a ooman yautja.”

Why did that sound like cultural appropriation? “Ummm…”

Again, this guy was patient, maybe only because she was pregnant. That seemed to be the only reason most tolerated her presence. It was getting a bit annoying. “It is where you are adopted by your clan and fully recognized as a member of our people.” He inclined his head to where they just left. “‘Lex’, as you call her, is a human yautja. She has been marked as being blooded by her clan, and is able to survive as an individual amongst us.”

This was a thing? “Technically I’m already blooded though.”

“Yes, I saw the recordings.” Did everyone see those? Was she akin to a Youtube star here? If she was, it was most likely so everyone could get their shits and giggles out of her running around and screaming her freaking head off. “But you are not recognized, and you have yet to learn how to survive among the people on your own.”

Okay then. “Bhu’ja is training me in the latter so that could work out. But to be recognized…”

“The Council of Elders for your clan would have to do that.” At her look, he said, “And I do not know you well enough to determine if you are worthy of being yautja.”

“Fair enough,” she said. “I’ll need to get focused on becoming strong enough then.”

Breathing and out, she leaned her head against the wall. 

“...Aya Prynne, was it?” She tensed, glancing up at the Ancient with a small nod. “Why do you think you’re weak?”

Fuck, that was right. He had been in the room when she admitted what happened. He overheard and _flinched_. Out of all yautja that heard that part of her past, at least one of them had to be one of the rulers.

Looking down, she said, “A male I thought I should trust drugged me, kidnapped me, and raped me when I was in a semi-conscious state.” Damn, she sounded so emotionless, as if she had observed the incident like it was part of a fucking documentary. What the hell was wrong with her? “He overpowered me, and I couldn’t fight him.”

The yautja inclined his head, chittering in thought. “Then I shall have to tell my mate she is weak then, shall I?”

Aya gaped before shutting her mouth. “What?”

“My mate was kidnapped by Bad Bloods because of me and my status,” the Ancient said. “She was overpowered despite her strength, her ferocity. Yet, I have never thought of her as weak for what happened, and neither has she. But if that is truly what you believe, then she must be weak, correct? And I am even weaker for being unable to prevent that happening to her?”

“What, no!” she yelped, starting to get up, hands raised before she paled, stopping herself. “I mean, uh, no, you and your mate aren’t weak.”

He inclined his head, “But you believe you are even though you experienced something similar?”

“It’s not that simple,” she tried to protest, before questioning herself out loud, “Is it?”

“Is it?” he said, repeating her words to her. At her conflicted expression, he sighed. “Do not stress, ooman. I must ask, is it truly easier to speak to the other oomans about what happened than it is to those in your clan?”

“...The humans are strangers, with little to no expectations of how I should be or how I should react,” she answered. “Some who have arguably dealt with far worse in their short lifetimes. And, I don’t think we’ll meet again, so telling them would just be easing some of my stress, where telling those in my clan would be the opposite.”

When had he moved closer? Why hadn’t she noticed? And why didn’t she feel so scared? “Aya, even the oldest of us would not think you weak for what happened. If anything, your clan might consider having who wronged you hunted down and bury his unworthy skull in the hounds’ shit.”

She twitched, “I can’t believe how tempting that sounds right now.”

“I could order it, and no one would ask questions.”

“Please, don’t,” she groaned, burying her face in her hands. “If anything, I’d rather hunt the asshole down myself. Er, wait, bad thoughts. I need to...Damn it.”

“Why not?”

Yeah, why not? The temptation was great, greater than she thought it would be. “...Because I don’t want him ruling my life, any of my actions.” She met the yautja’s gaze. “If I acknowledge him, what he did to me, then he wins.”

The yautja grunted in understanding. “You would not object if I still added him to a hunting list?”

Aya swallowed, shutting her eyes. Nightmares still haunted her. “Do what you wish.”

“I always do,” the Ancient One replied. “I will not promise anything, but I will speak to the council of Elders on your behalf to see how you can become a human yautja. If you succeed, Bhu’ja will be free, and you and your pup will be members of our people.”

A strange sense of relief and fear fell over her. “Thank you, Ancient One.” Pausing she asked, “May I ask for one more thing?”

He waited, getting more irritated by the second.

“I do not know your name, and apparently a human tradition is to _name_ some of the yautja. May I give you one?”

“Speak it.”

She smiled softly, “Great Owl.” At his confusion, she said, “An owl is a hunter that flies at night for prey. It’s a symbol of both terror, and wisdom among many cultures on Earth. And, in my youth it was part of a story where a fearsome but sagacious individual imparted knowledge to a mother in order to save her children. You remind me of him.”

There was a long pause before he huffed. “Very well. I will be ‘Great Owl’ to you oomans from now on.”

Aya just meant to use it as a nickname, but okay? They walked together to the clan ship, chatting a bit when Aya saw Bhu’ja waiting for her. Than-guan was close by, both letting out a breath of air when they saw her. Bhu’ja started to run to her, pausing when he saw the Ancient One. They said something she couldn’t hear.

“I see you met an Ancient One?” Than-guan asked.

“Yeah,” Aya said, watching the brief interactions between the males. “He basically asked me and the other humans at a bar if humans would be ready for first contact and a possible alliance. Pretty much everyone said no since humans suck. I think he was observing us for a couple hours before that though.”

Than-guan was quiet for a long moment. “I see. Did you enjoy your time with your kind?”

“It was nice,” Aya admitted. “But, they’re not home, not anymore.”

With that, Aya walked up the steps, pausing once at the top and turned to Than-guan. “Um, if it’s okay...The Ancient One and I talked about a few things and, I wanted to know if I could talk to you about something private?”

The female yautja was amused, “Such as?”

Aya swallowed, “The biological father of my baby. Or, at least I’d like to try.”

Than-guan looked like Aya had slapped her, but then her expression and posture shifted dramatically. “I’d be happy to.”

The human shared a glance with the Ancient One, who nodded, the two officially parting ways.

* * *

“Begin.” Than-guan reconsidered her words, amending them. “When you are ready.”

Where and how should Aya begin? It’s not just that simple. Was it ever simple?

**_"I'm sorry, Mrs. Prynne, but she severely beat a boy in her classroom. It doesn't matter that he was snapping her bra strap-"_ **

Right, _the_ beginning.

**_How does she tell them that some things were just too much and made her want to run or hit things? It was like something was attacking her, but not? It was all so loud and confusing. It was too much._ **

“...When I was a kid, I was uh, really sensitive to certain sounds, and sensations. It used to overwhelm me, and I wasn’t able to push it all down.”

**_“Mama, I’m not ready. It’s too much-”_ **

****

**_She wanted to cover her ears, shut her eyes. Anything to get rid of all this confusion._ **

****

**_“You’ll get used to it, Aya. You have to. This is what’s normal.”_ **

“My parents weren’t _bad_ per se, I just don’t think they knew what to do with someone like me, especially when the only way I could cope with my fear was by using my anger, and sometimes violence.”

**_“Aya is out of control, Evander. If we don’t control her, then who knows what she’ll do.”_ **

****

**_“She’s not an animal, Kim. She’s a kid.”_ **

****

**_“That’s no excuse for this behavior!”_ **

“Being weak or having problems like the ones I did, wasn’t something a lot of people could understand. So I got into trouble a lot, got into fights, and I was always frustrated with everything, but mostly myself. I didn’t know how to explain what I was experiencing, because there were no words that people would either understand, or _try_ to understand.”

**_Why wasn’t she listening? Why wasn’t anyone listening? It was too much. All of it was too much._ **

****

**_“It just takes practice, practice makes perfect.”_ **

“All anyone could understand was that I was angry, and so I was just the one throwing tantrums for no reasons in their eyes.”

**_There was a clap of flesh on flesh, and Aya touched her own cheek, the burn from earlier still there. Aya placed her other hand over her mouth, eyes watering, only making the stinging hurt more._ **

**_It was all her fault._ **

“There was a period of time where I was able to compose myself better, and that’s when I met _him_ for the first time. I was young, a child, and he sat behind me in one of the teaching centers.” Yautja didn’t have _schools_ per se, so that was one of the closest translations she could provide. “He uh, liked pulling my hair, kicking my shins, mocking me, and finally, snapping my bra strap.”

Than-guan knew what bras were, both from previous experience with humans, and from what Aya was able to describe. She knew how breasts were sensitive, how stressful puberty was, and even saw Aya’s old bra. She knew how painful some bras could be, and understood why it took so long for some females to locate one that could stand.

“Normally the bra strap thing would just be annoying on its own, but on top of everything else, and not just what he did? I lost control of my temper. I beat him to a bloody pulp.”

THan-guan let out a pleased noise, while Aya tried not to make a distressed one.

**_She hadn't meant to hit him. She just got so angry. Her parents finally stepped out along with other adults, and she knew they were pissed off._ **

**_"Young lady, it's about time we talked about your behavior."_ **

**_She wanted to scream. She wanted to shout. Do or say anything._ **

**_Even in a crowd with those she was supposed to trust, Aya knew she was alone._ **

“I was sent elsewhere as part of my punishment, and my parents had me join a group called the Girl Scouts. It’s a group of young females who learned skills to better enable them to survive in the adult world. One of the things I learned from them was how to craft tools, another being how to wield a bow and arrow.”

Than-guan was listening, not saying a word, not asking a question. Aya didn’t know if she wanted to know what the yautja was thinking.

“I learned how to better adapt because of them, and how to get rid of excess energy. They helped me become interested in competitive sports, and in that field, I earned the ability to attend a higher place of learning. It was there that I met the male again.”

There was a small growl, but again, nothing said.

“People loved him, and he was admired by many. He was specializing in athleticism, just as I was. Many of our areas of study were the same, and I wasn’t able to avoid him. So, we had a talk, and he told me the reason he mocked me, hurt me, was because he had feelings for me.”

**_“You know, no matter what anyone says, I’ve always thought of you as a girl Aya.”_ **

**_She blinked at him, tilting her head. “Um, okay? Where’d that come from?”_ **

**_Her classmate was smiling at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. It almost made her think of a predator hunting its prey. But, that was likely her overreacting again. She always overreacted to the simplest of things. She needed to stop that. He was just being nice. He already said he was sorry for what happened when they were kids. She didn’t accept it, but Aya figured he was trying at least._ **

**_“It’s why I used to snap your bra strap, actually. I didn’t know how to tell you I had a crush on you. I was still figuring stuff out.”_ **

**_Yeah, well, so was Aya, but that didn’t mean she actively hurt people. Or at least she tried not to._ **

The growl grew louder, but Aya found herself getting lost in memories to the point where anything but her own voice was becoming white noise. Images flurried in her mind like snow, leaving a blanket of memories around her, thick enough to make movement difficult.

“He wanted to start over, supposedly to build a friendship. He just assumed I forgave him. After all, how could I not, right?”

**_He stopped, and held out his hand._ **

**_“I’d like to start over with you. Is that okay?”_ **

**_She wanted to say no. Something felt off about everything when it came to him. But everyone loved him. Everyone admired him. It was just her old grudge against him from when they were kids. She ought to try to grow past that. They were technically adults now, so, shouldn’t she forgive him?_ **

**_Aya hesitated, starting to reach out, only to pull back slightly, unsure. He tugged her hand then, practically snatching it. His palms were soft and cold. His grip was firm, and Aya wondered if it’d be rude to remove her hand first. Damn it, how should she interact with people?_ **

**_“I’m so glad you’ve forgiven me.”_ **

**_She barely heard anything he said after that. Aya had to try trusting people, she had to let them in. She had to. She couldn’t afford to be paranoid for the rest of her life. That’s what everyone kept telling her._ **

“I kept telling myself that I was overreacting, like I’ve always done. That following my instincts would only hurt me more when I should’ve been listening to them.”

Inhaling and exhaling, she said, “It was a few months later. There was a party for all the athletes, and I was the one designated to drive people home. I didn’t even have a drink for someone to contaminate. I brought my own container of water, one with a lid. But, I felt a prick on my arm at some point. I thought the red mark was from a bug bite.”

“It wasn’t.”

Aya shook her head, “No, it wasn’t.” She was shaking. Damn it, she hated it when this happened. “A short while later, my mind was in and out, my speech slurring, and sounds were just jumbled together. My instinct was to fight, but I pushed it aside the best I could and I...I asked for help, because I was so _scared_ …” Tears were starting to fall down her cheeks. “ _He_ helped me out the door, promising everyone he’d make sure I got home safe and sound.”

There was screeching of metal as claws dug into the floor of the ship.

Aya’s voice was crackling against her will, and she found her body drawing in on herself. She wanted to stop, so badly, just to keep the nightmares away. But if she did that then none of this would stop. She just wanted it all to stop.

“Things were so confusing and disorienting and…”

**_She couldn’t move. Why couldn’t she move? And why was she lying on her stomach? She never did that. It always made her feel vulnerable and why was there something heavy at her back? It was warm, and moving, and everything hurt. Why did everything hurt?!_ **

“He didn’t stop even when I told him to, begged him...I said _no_ , and he didn’t care, not even when I told him it hurt..”

**_A voice whispered in her ear, “Stop crying. I’ll be done soon enough. We both just need a little practice...Practice makes perfect...”_ **

“And in the morning, I woke up alone, and in a strange place, cold, and hurt. I couldn’t remember what happened at first, but it didn’t take long to remember.” 

**_The first thing the woman did when she woke up was sit up to scream, but stopped herself by covering her mouth. Shuddering, she tried to stand up, only to fall back into...Was she on a bed? No, she couldn't do this again. She was not going to wake up in an unfamiliar motel with something hurting. She was not going to feel dirty or used without understanding why. She was not going to let her fear take over._ **

Aya found herself laughing and crying at the same time. “I don’t think he expected me to be able to get up, or even to try to get help, or even get proof of what he did.”

**_“I’m sorry, dear, but you need to bear with it. Do you want someone to hold your hand?”_ **

**_The test kit, it required going into places that hurt, places Aya didn’t want to be touched at all. Hell, she felt filthy, and wanted to take a thousand showers, and she still wasn’t sure she’d ever feel clean again. But, she had to hold back. She always had to hold back._ **

**_“Just do it,” she said through grit teeth._ **

“He was sent to jail, but I wouldn’t doubt if he’s out on probation now. Few people like him fulfill their sentence, especially men with ‘bright futures ahead’, or as popular as him.”

**_“I'm sorry, young lady, but[boys will be boys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0QWX2M7W7M). And boys, they like messing with girls, even if it hurts us."_ **

Her hand fell to her lower abdomen, where a small kick greeted her. Her eyes still burned, and everything hurt. Still, she couldn’t stop her honest, bittersweet smile.

“I thought he had taken a bright future away from me before, that my life was over. But, here I am.”

Damn, Aya felt tired, and numb, and just...She wanted to sleep, but she was also scared of what nightmares might haunt her. “Than-guan? I know I just said a lot but, please don’t tell Bhu’ja? Or anyone else? I’m not ready yet to tell them, and I _do_ want to be the one to tell them. And, I’m really tired.”

Than-guan began purring, an underlying growl in the tone. “Rest. I will not tell.”

Hesitant, Aya murmured, “Can, can Bhu’ja stay over tonight? I don’t know why, but it’s easier to sleep with him near, sometimes.”

Not even minutes later, Bhu’ja appeared, clicking rapidly at seeing Aya’s tear-stained face. “Aya?”

“Don’t ask,” Than-guan ordered. “Comfort her.”

Aya was going to tell him it was just hormones, but she was too tired too in so many ways. Instead, she leaned against him almost as soon as he sat next to her. Than-guan left them be.

Trilling softly, Bhu’ja asked, “What do you need?”

Burrowing her face into his shoulder, she said, “Just, stay with me? Until I fall asleep? Maybe a little after? The baby doesn’t kick so much when you’re here.”

He positioned them both down carefully so that they were on their sides, and she was in his arms, soaking up his heat. Rubbing his forehead against hers, he asked, “Do you wish to talk about it?”

Shaking her head, she murmured, “Just, stay with me.”

Purring, he held her closer.

…

..

.

Her sleep was blissfully dreamless.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The ooman, become one of us? Impossible," Skemte, the newest member of the Council of Elders said.
> 
> The Ancient One narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
> 
> "She's an ooman, prey, weak."
> 
> For some reason, the last word agitated the Ancient One. "Call her that again, and I will tear your legs from your corpse and feed it to kainde amedha while making you watch."
> 
> Skemte shut his mandibles together, appalled by anger directed at him. And for the sake of a ooman? "Bakuub, you've spent time with the ooman. What do you think of her?"
> 
> Bakuub wasn't an Elder, but his position was still relatively equal to the new member's. "I think she is a fierce warrior, and a quick learner. Though temperamental, she is still more competent than most young bloods."
> 
> "So you believe she could act as an independent being among our people."
> 
> "Provided she holds some rank, yes," Bakuub stated. "She's already been blooded, and by the strongest and most difficult prey known to our people. She has hunted Bad Bloods. More so, she also tutored a young blood in how to spar against her. Her knowledge and forethought could be beneficial."
> 
> Skemte hissed, "He's only defending her because his brother is bound to her, and his grandmother was a filthy ooman!"
> 
> The Ancient One glared, silencing the newly made Elder. "Comport yourself in a manner better than a Young Blood, else I will have you removed from this Council."
> 
> The Elder sighed, "Ancient One, being a yautja is more than merely being blooded, or even knowing our culture. It requires sacrifice, and the will to do the unthinkable should the time arrive. Would she be willing to take her life for the sake of honor? Would she be willing to kill her own kind should she be ordered to, whether they are a Bad Blood or prey? Her pup will live among us. It will need to be taught the ways of our people, and if she is not prepared-"
> 
> "Technically, she has killed oomans," Bakuub said. "She killed them so they would not suffer the indignity of being prey to the kainde amedha. And as for sacrificing her life for honor, she nearly did just that on Earth, and has also sacrificed a great deal for the sake of her unborn pup." Bakuub spoke clearly, "Do not underestimate her or her will, Skemte."
> 
> "...But would she be willing to kill a ooman?" At the looks he got, Skemte said, "All yautja are prepared to kill the Bad Bloods of our people, kill for honor. She may have killed Bad Bloods of our kind, but that was in self defense. Would she be willing to kill another ooman for the sake of honor? As her prey?"
> 
> That, Bakuub was unsure how to answer.
> 
> The Ancient One clicked thoughtfully. "Tell me, Skemte, if she kills a ooman, one that is either her prey or a Bad Blood, will you accept her as a yautja?"
> 
> Skemte folded his arms. "Yes."
> 
> The Ancient One looked around. "If she completes her training, and kills another ooman, will you accept her in our ranks?"
> 
> All sounds were those of agreement, including from Bhu'ja's forebearer.
> 
> "Then so be it. Let it be known that should Aya Prynne wish to be a ooman yautja, and to free the one honor-bound to her, she is to complete her training, and to take a ooman as her prey."
> 
> Bakuub watched on, trying to understand what just happened.
> 
> "...C'jit."


	25. A Short Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things have been getting a little dark lately, darker than expected, and I know they're going to get darker, so I'm placing this short chapter in between as a bit of a breath of fresh air.
> 
> I'll also try to make the next chapter a bit lighter. For crying out loud this story was originally supposed to be a comedy, you'd think there'd be more light-hearted moments, even if it's dark humor, than not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of these scenes are one-shots, deleted scenes, or just fun concepts. Whether or not you'd consider these to be canon to the story is your choice.
> 
> Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

** When Oomans Sing **

**(Note: This was largely inspired by a scene in Ooman by blacktalon117/Poetgirl616. Please go check it out and support the author!)**

Kata'nu had heard many sounds come out of oomans. Most were screams or battle cries, the most memorable belonging to the recent ooman addition to their clan. What he wasn't used to hearing, was _singing_. He had heard Aya screech, roar, and even _growl_. Singing though? Some species could do that, oomans being the most famous, or infamous depending on who you ask. Yet, for some reason he hadn't considered it possible for Aya to sing. Or for her to [sound](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl6Yyl7iZhs) so wistful.

"If there's a price for rotten judgement, I guess I've already won that." He had gone to the females' quarters to fetch her for a training session, when he heard her sing for the first time. "No man is worth the aggravation...That's ancient history, been there, done that..."

Curious to hear what other sounds the ooman made, he listened, and listened often.

He came to like hearing the sound of her voice, when its anger wasn't directed at him. She caught him observing her once, and said she'd forgive him if he tried to sing one [song.](http://youtube.com/watch?v=hEQzhYlBLqs)

"Leeook at tis stoof. Innit neit? Woodn't yoo sei-i me collecte-on'zz coomplee?"

"Wouldn't you think I'm the girl?" Aya sang encouragingly, disregarding how bad his pronunciation was. "The girl who has, everything?"

Apparently Kata'nu was reminiscent of a fairy tale figure from Aya's youth, and the person sang this song. Kata'nu didn't know how to feel about it. On one hand, he was training to be a mighty warrior and this was nothing like what their training informed them of. On the other, he kind of enjoyed this. Was that bad?

Yet, when it came down to it, Kata'nu had two favorite songs he couldn't stop listening to. One involved a word he hadn't heard before, and Aya sang it whenever she went to cleaning or hard work, mystifying most of those around her. He couldn't even begin to try to pronounce it, but it did sound fun.

"It's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious. If you say it loud enough you'll always sound precocious. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"

Bakuub still thought she lost her mind the day she spent hours singing it. Kata'nu just found himself trying to do that little dance she did. It was supposed to have a 'cane' or 'umbrella'. Kata'nu used one of his favorite spears instead. Humans really liked hopping.

The other song though? It wasn't as energetic, and...It made him feel safe, and warm in a way he hadn't in a long time. She sang it when there were few others around, and only when it was someone she knew. Her eyes would light up, her smile soft in a way that Kata'nu wondered if it really was the same ooman sometimes.

"Come stop your crying, it will be alright. Just take my hand, and hold it tight" She always had her hands over her growing belly, and sometimes, when Aya rarely wasn't wearing her armor, Kata'nu could swear he saw movement. "I will protect you from all around you. I will be here don't you cry"

Kata'nu had few memories of the female who bore him. She was more interested in hunting, and once she knew he could survive on his own, complete with starting his training, she went out once more. She hadn't harmed him or been cruel, just distant most of the time. 

"For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you keep you safe and warm." He was grateful for all he had, but sometimes...He wished he had someone like Aya for a mother. "This bond between us, can't be broken. I will be here, don't you cry."

The best part of the[ song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=git6DCXSqjE)? It was when Bhu'ja would join her. He didn't sing, but he purred or let out low,soft growls that calmed both mother and pup. Bhu'ja had been one of the closest things to a parent Kata'nu had. So when he saw those two together? He knew that despite all of the fear and obstacles in the way, that pup was going to have parents worth fighting for. And as for Kata'nu? He was looking forward to seeing what a tiny ooman looked like.

He wondered if Aya would let him practice more ooman songs. Maybe he and the pup could sing together too.

_**Aya's Cravings** _

When you're pregnant, your body inexplicably wants things.

Chocolate and pickles? That stuff normally makes people disgusted, but _no_ , the little adorable tyrant in her womb wanted that crap. And finding compromises, worse yet, healthy compromises, wasn't always easy. Snickers was _not_ the healthiest thing to consume, even if the nuts were technically a form of protein. But it was something yummy for her and the baby, maybe as an occasional treat. Unfortunately, satisfying cravings like those, away from Earth and basically every known food or type of sustenance you can instinctively seek can be difficult. So imagine her surprise when Aya found a couple of Snickers by the pillow on her bed.

She had her back turned to Bhu'ja, who was getting out of his armor so they could share the bed, again. It was becoming a habit, if only because the baby kept kicking without him there. At least, that was the best excuse she could give.She never even thought she could share a bed with someone else ever again after what had happened, but somehow Bhu'ja made her feel safe...Damned Stockholm Syndrome.

"Snickers? How-?"

"We took some with us while we were uh, seeking you in the 'medical facility'."

In other words, they got Snickers as bait to try to lure her in. Last she recalled, it didn't work too well for their part. From what Kata'nu was willing to share, Bakuub was seeking out a way to weaponize the 'infernal shiny rocks'. It was rare to see the big guy become impatient, but typically it was funny when he was.

Aya snorted. "There's this joke on Earth that not having Snickers, the uh candy here, can make people angry or hangry which is a combination of hungry and angry."

"And other foods wouldn't satisfy that 'hanger'."

The way he said that was just weird. "Not for pregnant ladies, not easily. It was a good idea, using this."

"It didn't work."

She arched a brow, "What do you mean? I still went after it. It's that good." Aya didn't really listen to him protest, not that he did anyways. He just seemed more interested in the Snickers Bar. She held it up, "Want some?"

Instead of taking the piece of chocolate from her offered fingers by his hand, he just leaned down and took it in his mandibles. As he did so, part of his mouth, the softness and wetness of it, touched her. He was warm, and the texture was disturbingly pleasant. And it was _flexible_. Wait, no, bad thoughts! Shit, where was some holy water when you needed it?!

Bhu'ja clicked, "It's...Sweet."

"Hey, when you're pregnant, that's when you get to complain," she deadpanned, trying to keep her cool. Her mind was running rampant with all kinds of thoughts she knew could get her into trouble. "I dare you to try eating ice cream, chili peppers, and bacon. It's the weirdest thing, but it kind of tastes good. Or, at least right now it is? I didn't eat that combination when I wasn't pregnant."

The yautja was quiet for a long moment. "Do you, do you crave that now?"

What she craved was for him to take off more layers of clothing so she could do a better comparison of WHAT THE FUCK WAS WRONG WITH HER?! She mentally slapped herself, forcing herself to think about the previous males in her life, all the ones that hurt her, that made her feel afraid. That stopped the craving, if only momentarily.

"Sometimes, but I'm not going to expect or particularly hope for anything. It's not exactly a safe thing to do."

He nodded, Aya wondering if she was going to get any sleep that night.

The next day, Aya found herself wondering where and how the fuck Bhu'ja and the others managed to concoct their own version of ice cream...It tasted like bacon.

Yummy.

_**The Art of** **Seduction**_

"How do I seduce a ooman female?"

Kai blinked up. There was a male yautja at the table, a huge mug of alcohol in those clawed hands. "...What makes you think _I_ know?"

Who the hell was this guy anyways? "You're ooman, and the only other one beside the one in my clan that I've seen living with other yautja."

Oh jeeze. "Dude, first off, I am a male in both spirit and body. I don't know how females think. Two, I'm gay. Why and how would I know how to seduce females?"

This guy couldn't know about stereotypes, right? "What is 'gay'?"

It was tempting for Kai to take off his prosthetic leg and thump the yautja on the back of the head with it. "It means I'm exclusively interested in males."

"Oomans have labels for that?"

Fair point. "Humans, like categorizing stuff, organizing it I guess. And, things need names? Descriptors? So, I'm male, and I'm gay."

"...Understood." Why did Kai doubt that? "Now, how do I seduce a ooman female?"

And there's why. "We're not all the same, you know." He really should call his mate. The phantom pains were back today, so Kai wasn't exactly in the best shape for fighting or sparring of any kind. Maybe he should have stayed back on the ship. Running his hand through his hair, he said, "Look, most oomans prefer having a partner, mate, whatever you want to call yourself, to be able to consider their situation, their feelings, and scars both literal and in the mind." The yautja winced and Kai wished there was someone else around for this. "Just, just be sincere. Humans are flawed, some more hurt than others, and adapt differently. But most importantly, ask yourself what she wants, and how that differs from what you want."

"Huh?"

Kai tried not to roll his eyes. "You're different people, with different beliefs, cultures, hopes and dreams. You're not always going to be the same or experience the same things, and that's okay. Ask yourself _why_ you want that person instead of blindly accepting something. Ask yourself if it's okay for both of you to be in a relationship. Don't be afraid to be a little selfish, and don't get mad if she wants to keep to herself as well."

Wait, the guy said 'seduce', so maybe he just wants to sleep with the female? "Ask yourself, what do you want from her that she might be willing to give you, or take a chance with? And what can you give in return without either of you sacrificing too much of yourselves?"

"...I see."

The male picked up his drink, and bowed his head a little at Kai, startling the human ever so little. "Thank you. I shall consider your words."

Kai fidgeted slightly before saying. "Hey, one more thing?" Making sure that the yautja was paying attention, Kai said, "There will be people who don't understand, some who might say that the relationship you have doesn't make sense. But, you don't need to explain. What matters is that you make sense to each other. My mate and I certainly do."

The yautja brightened, thanking him again before leaving. Kai slumped in his chair, shutting his eyes until he felt a very familiar presence.

"Hey, gorgeous. Ya have fun?"

Kai's mate had a skull on a spear. "You should have joined me."

"Sorry, figured I'd be more trouble than I'm worth with the leg acting up."

"...Is it burning again?"

Kai wanted to lie, to say it wasn't or that there was barely anything there. But, he couldn't, and wouldn't. "Yeah, but I'll live. So, need me to make dinner tonight? You look exhausted."

His mate ran his mandibles through Kai's hair, the latter leaning into his touch. "As do you. I have already prepared a meal."

Ignoring all the stares, Kai knew he should feel doubt. He knew he should be anxious about what the others and his mate thought all of the time, but he didn't. All he felt, even if the yautja couldn't put it into words, was that he was loved.

"Let's go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I'm not trying to have favorite characters, but Kai really turned out to be one of them. Also I've been trying to give a good name to Kai's mate, but nothing really feels true to the character. I swear I'm working on it.
> 
> I'm considering adding either another series of one-shots or a chance for readers to ask questions. It's more likely going to be the former, but feel free to ask or comment anything anyways. Criticism is always appreciated.


	26. Another Short Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is supposed to be the start of a dark arc, so have some fluff and world building in the meantime.
> 
> ...Might have to lengthen number of chapters just so I can fit in the smut. Hopefully people won't be disappointed by that development.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight spoilers in last section.

_ **The Story of Cetanu** _

"Cetanu is the Black Hunter, the god of death, the undefeatable. He is covered in scars and wounds dealt by the living, and all succumb as his prey save for the other gods. He is wrath incarnate, and a warning to all of what awaits in the final battle. He is balance to his mother, the goddess of life, to maintain order in the universe. His siblings are deities of birth and wrath, his sense of honor ingrained by the roles of his clan. The greater the crimes one has committed, the more severe the hunt, as are his punishments. It is said that those who commit to his code, to his goal, will gain his aid in the hunt, until their hunt is complete, or it is their time to face him."

Aya winced. "Most deities of death aren't consider good."

Than-guan clicked softly. "This one, at least in this clan, is one of debate. Some see him as evil, some as good. All agree that he is a force of nature to be reckoned with, as are those who bear his mark."

It made Aya think of Aidoneus or Hades as most knew the latter. Many depictions viewed him as evil, comparing him to the Devil in Christian faiths simply because he was Lord of the Dead, and ruled the Underworld. In actuality, he was probably the nicest of the deities, his wife even more fearsome than he in some iterations. If anything, Aya kind of viewed him as a secretary of sorts. After all, he managed the Underworld, and technically wasn't a god of the dead. That title belonged to another. People just tended to mix up the concepts.

"What do you think of him?"

"...I think he is a warrior not to be underestimated."

Death rarely was.

_**What the Future** **Holds**_

Kata'nu was panicking. He was finally entrusted with 'babysitting' the ooman pup, and the first thing she does is crawl into the ship's air ducts.

Sensors no longer showed her in said air ducts. Instead, she was somewhere in the ship, alone, and without supervision. He called her name anxiously. After everything the parents went through, that Aya went through, if that pup died Kata'nu was never going to forgive himself. He recruited Mahnde, the yautja more than willing to assist in the dire situation.

"Does she take after her mother?"

"Very much so," Kata'nu grumbled. "It seems she got her mother's curiosity and hunting instincts."

For so long, Aya had tried to deny that part of herself, her 'wild side' as she put it. It was not long before she gave birth to the little pup that she finally accepted that part of herself. Now, she was embracing it as she hunted off-ship with Bhu'ja and Bakuub. Imagining it, he say himself as their future prey instead of whatever they were currently making their prey.

Both heard a screech then, and ran for it. In the dining room was a table of Elders, including a Skemte with a little pup on his head, the vent above his head open. His claws were twitching, a low growl echoing in the room while the other surprised yautja were unable to suppress their laughter.

"Little one, remove your squishy, pathetic body from my face." She blinked at him, nodded, and jumped off onto the floor. Searching the area, she waddled off to one of the serving areas, starting to reach for a tray. Kata'nu groaned, racing over and carefully picking the pup up, turning her to make her face him. "She needs to apologize."

Kata'nu wilted. "She still doesn't speak."

The little pup began swaying her legs, wriggling to escape from Kata'nu's grip, her brows furrowed in determination. Skemete grumbled, "Oomans, so bloody stupid."

Before they knew it, Skemte had some meat tossed to his plate, a very cranky ooman pup having managed to snatch it was glaring. Kata'nu had thought she was just hungry. Was this some form of apology? Skemte looked a little impressed.

"Is this an apology?" A slow nod. "Good."

The pup did not speak, but she was more clever than some realized. Somehow, the little one managed to escape Kata'nu's hold. She pouted as she looked up to where the vent was, then she smirked. C'jit. For someone so small, the pup was quick, and a good jumper. She grabbed another piece of meat for Skemte, putting on his plate before jumping onto his head, and propelling herself into the air, her fingertips barely catching onto the edge of the grate. She climbed, scurrying with rapidly shifting feet. She disappeared into the dark, filling Kata'nu with dread once more.

"Just think of it as a hunting exercise Young Blood."

Pauk.

...

..

.

He found the pup later by one of the giant port windows showing the vastness of space. She was staring outwards, forlorn. Kata'nu knew he should be angry, he had every right to be. Yet seeing her like this, he wanted to cheer her up as much as he had tried for Aya once.

Kata'nu sat next to her, observing her expression and posture. She tensed when she sensed his presence, but did not acknowledge him.

"Little one, they'll be coming home soon."

As always, she said nothing. Instead, she gave him a piece of dried meat, her version of an apology. At the same time, her stomach growled, her cheeks darkening in embarrassment. So, she hadn't eaten yet. Kata'nu sighed, "We're going to have a talk about your behavior, but for now, let's get you something to eat."

Immediately, she crawled onto his shoulders, causing him to sigh in exasperation.

This little ooman was lucky she was cute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this when I was half asleep. Sorry if the quality seems poor.
> 
> Now, onto the dark stuff with tons of violence, gore, and questionable morals.
> 
> Ooh boy.


	27. Freedom Part 1/3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Slight sexual content or sexual suggestion in beginning of chapter.

Aya was warm, and safe in Bhu’ja’s arms.

He carefully brushed away some stray hair from her face, wrapping it around the round shape of her ear. Long lashes highlighted her features, and they flickered in her deep slumber. The bags under her eyes were lessening. Oh, they were still dark underneath, but more rested certainly.

Cupping her cheek, his thumb sensed for the pulse in her throat easily. She was so tiny, so breakable. Even now he could think of the ways he could tear out her spine as he had done to countless ooman prey. Yet, the thought haunted him whenever he dared to imagine doing the same to her.

He stilled when she mumbled something, maneuvering closer into his touch. She shivered until she became more comfortable, letting out a small sigh of contentment. He returned the unconscious touch, tugging her further into her arms, wondering if he could use his body as a shield from whatever had put her into so much pain the night before. Seeing her crying, he barely held back the instinct to hunt down the Ancient One and demand if he had something to do with it. That would have been a foolish thing to-

The yautja grunted as the scent of mating musk filled the air. Aya had been giving off the scent more and more, but it hadn’t happened while the two of them shared the same bed before. 

Oh, he had no fears of losing control when she wasn’t aware or didn’t want anything. Someone who did that was pathetic, cowardly. What he was afraid of, was scaring her. He was still making plans on how to court her, and most of those plans involved waiting till after she gave birth. He would show he could provide for both her and her pup.

The problem was, as time passed, sometimes her scent grew stronger. It was certainly garnering more attention and she seemed blissfully unaware to the point where it confused others. There was almost always a yautja guarding her at this point, if only to ward off any unwanted attention.

Aya groaned, as if in pain, and something else. Her brows were furrowed, and she went very still. Concerned, Bhu’ja placed his hand over her lower abdomen, finding that the pup was kicking. He let out a low rumble, soothing both mother and offspring. As he did though, Aya let out a soft groan of another kind that tested him and his patience.

That sound…

She wasn’t conscious, her exhaustion putting her in a deep slumber. The flickering of her eyes under those lids indicated she was dreaming. Whatever she was dreaming of, it was enough for her mating musk to grow stronger. Curious, he leaned down, and gently scraped his tusks on the side of her throat.

She keened, little out a small whine while trembling. He reared back in surprise, stilling when he heard her whisper, “Bhu’ja.”

Quickly, he shifted his legs to cover his growing arousal. Aya was in heat, or at least her body desired mating, and more importantly, she desired _him_ . She wanted _him_. The thought made him purr deeply as his imagination started running multiple scenarios of how he could please her, to hear more of those sounds.

It was starting to hurt, so he carefully dislodged himself and stepped into the bathroom.

Damn it, she needed her rest, and from what little he understood the ooman body did not always match ooman emotions. She could find him arousing, but mentally she might not be ready to confront that. Looking at the bath, he considered his options before turning on the most freezing water possible. He grunted as the near-iciness constricted him, quickly shriveling his growing desire. No, he still yearned to touch her, to mate with her, but in not as much need.

Patience, all hunters knew the worth of patience.

Returning to the room, he heard Aya whimpering in distress, and rushed to her side. Instead of arousal, she started to smell of fear and confusion. He lay beside her once more, purring. She shivered once more, leaning into him as tears fell from her eyes. She was in pain, but not physically from what he understood. It was a night terror.

Tucking her head under his, he held her close, doing his best to dispel whatever was haunting her.

* * *

  
  


Some were concerned with the idea of Bhu’ja sparring with Aya. They weren’t full on fighting, merely practicing fighting forms. According to her, Aya had little martial arts training, mostly learning defensive moves, not offensive. When asked how she could be so lethal, she said something along the lines of imagination, rage, and a mother’s determination. Bhu’ja wasn’t sure how true that was, but when the other females on the ship agreed to that as a possibility, he wasn’t going to argue.

“How are your feet?” He asked, blocking one of her jabs. 

She swung out one of her legs then, nearly getting him in the side. “Sore, but not in a way I expected. Usually they feel like I’ve run a marathon. Nowadays they just feel...Squishy.”

“Squishy?” he chuckled, almost getting hit in the face.

“Yeah, pregnant females’ feet get swollen,” she said.

This time the two of them were alone in the room. Than-guan said she needed to speak to the Council of Elders regarding something, and Guan-twei was watching more pups. Aya had reluctantly allowed Kata’nu to ‘babysit’ and train Terminator for the time being. All yautja thought ‘Terminator’ was a bad name for the hound, but, ooman. 

For some reason Aya joked she was an ‘alien warrior Disney princess’ for having the pup, only Kata’nu understanding the reference.

She listed the qualities to be one, baffling all of them, and then decided to compare herself.

**“Okay, I don’t have magic hair or magic hands.” With the array of hairstyles Aya could have, Bhu’ja doubted that. Not to mention how swift and artistic those tiny hands were. “Terminator kind of talks to me, but not really?”**

**The pup barked playfully in response, earning some head scratches and another slab of meat, which he gleefully tore into with razor sharp teeth.**

**“...I guess I’ve technically been poisoned, but there’s no way I’m going to talk about that. And uh, I was kidnapped? Multiple times now that I think about it?”**

**Than-guan in particular was not pleased with that idea as she glared at Bhu’ja. He was going to get an ‘ass-whooping’ later, wasn’t he? At least he did it to save Aya’s life! And initially his own skin but that was beside the point.**

**“And, yeah, a lot of people here and on Earth assume that my problems are being solved by a big, strong male. So uh, I guess I am a Disney Princess.”**

Aya assured them that she wasn’t truly royalty, but it honestly was that hard to imagine her wearing some form of headwear marking her as a member of it.

And speaking of heads, Aya nearly got his with her most recent attempt to hit him. Bhu’ja barely caught those tiny, swift hands. See, magic hands. She frowned at him.

“You’ve been bothered by something, lately. What’s wrong?”

Multiple things were wrong. He wanted to know more about her past, the past she hid from him and all the scars with it. He wanted to know if her attraction to him was truly just something physically, and why she hid it in any case. He wanted to ask what made her cry at night in her sleep, because he knew it wasn’t just hormones as she sometimes claimed those tears to be from. Paya, there was so much that was _always_ wrong, and he didn’t know how to fix it without causing more damage.

Yet, lying was dishonest, dishonorable, even more so than to keep a secret.

“...You’re attracted to me, but you deny it. It’s in your scent.” She froze, her pallor lessening greatly and the scent of fear filled the air. He had to reassure her somehow. “Aya, no one will ever force you to be with them here, especially not me. I just don’t understand why you refuse those instincts.”

She swallowed, trying to smile as she held her arm subconsciously. “Right, cultural differences.”

“It is not just a matter of culture,” Bhu’ja said. He made sure to sit a short ways away, to give her distance. It would not do well if she felt cornered, if she wanted to run from him. Code or not, he was to protect her. Having her frightened or always needing to fight wasn’t part of it. “You always have trouble allowing yourself to follow your instincts, as oomans say to ‘follow your heart and gut’. Why is that?”

She winced, and rubbed the back of her neck. Oomans tended to touch themselves more when they needed comfort, as if physical contact helped them. They did it more and more when they were uncomfortable. “In human society, restricting oneself is so common to the point where it’s ingrained into us at an early age. For example, if you get angry, that supposedly always means violence which means someone gets hurt...And if you can’t control yourself, someone else will.”

That last part didn’t sound like a generalization. “Violence isn’t always a bad thing, Aya.”

“Most people on Earth would disagree with you on that,” she chuckled bitterly.

“Anger is the emotion we feel when something isn’t right, when we seek reparation or action. Anger becomes violence when an individual feels something unjust has occurred. Sometimes this is born out of misunderstanding, out of confusion, but it can also be born from pain and fear. Not all forms of anger or violence are wrong.”

This was something he tried to teach his students, the concept of balance, and of honor. Rage in itself was not evil or inherently wrong.

“What someone does with that anger is what matters most. It takes time to learn control, just as it takes time to understand. That is why those who have the experience are charged with teaching those who are learning. We are to guide them, not outright punish them for something that is natural to them. Help them understand, and help them use it to be a tool...I believe you do something similar to your fear?”

The scent of fear was still there, but she wasn’t backing down or running. It was one of the many things Bhu’ja admired of Aya. Even with fear, that fiery determination was still in her eyes. “Fear is what tells us when there’s danger. Instead of letting it paralyze me, I let it guide me, tell me where a threat is so I can follow through on the next best course of action.”

“Yet, you won’t do it here.”

She tensed, and he said. “I’m not saying you have to mate with me, Aya. I’m saying that you are in denial of something enough that it’s becoming obvious.”

Aya didn’t look him in the eye. Her own were searching the ground for something he couldn’t see. Raking her hand through her hair, she said, “Bhu’ja, I-”

“Aya? I need to speak with you.”

It was Bakuub, Bakuub and his c’jit-filled timing. Aya looked at Bhu’ja, and exhaled slowly. “We’ll talk later.” When his doubt showed, she frowned, and walked over to him, taking his hand in her tiny ones. “I promise.”

So, he let her go, holding her to her word.

* * *

  
  


“I have to _what_?”

Bakuub watched the ooman’s reaction, not happy that she had consulted with an Ancient One in the first place, and was conflicted by how she was trying to free his brother from being honor-bound to her.

“You have to kill a ooman.” Aya wasn’t moving. She was staring into space, muttering something under her breath. “Aya-” Her brows furrowed, and Aya stood, gathering her armor. “Aya?”

“I’m still able to hunt, and last I heard there’s a perfectly good hunting preserve nearby,” Aya said.

...What?

“YOU’RE PREGNANT!”

“And I was pregnant when the kainde amedha nearly killed me. I was pregnant when soldiers shot me. I was pregnant when you guys kidnapped me from Earth!” There was no fear in her eyes, only anger, and steely determination. “I was pregnant when Bad Bloods tried to kill me! I was pregnant when, on my first day in this freaking place, that one of your people groped me.”

She gestured to herself. “In all the time that you’ve known me, including when we went hunting, I’ve been pregnant. And that hasn’t stopped anyone from doing what they wanted to, including me.”

Bakuub felt rage fill him. He wanted to yell, to say something, but for a moment it wasn’t Aya glaring defiantly up at him, but his ooman forebear in her place. Even if he and Sacniete hadn’t been related by blood as rumors tried to claim, Bhu’ja still regarded the female as such. He had been fond of her, considered her someone to look up to, to admire. Bhu’ja didn’t have the chance to meet Sacniete. Bhu’ja didn’t meet one of the few oomans that lived among the yautja, and lived alone in a crowd of thousands. He didn’t watch as Sacniete withered away, how the Elder Dachande’s life paled once she was buried.

Hell, he could see Aya be wounded or age so easily before his own eyes. No, he _did_ see Aya on the operating table. He felt her bones and skin mend as he had done his best to heal her. It was during that time he had seen a younger version of the female ooman he had admired so much. She was a fire, and fires always burned themselves out during their brief existence.

“I didn’t save your life just for you to get you and your pup killed,” he argued. “And I’m not going to let you risk my brother’s life for the sake of your pride.”

“It’s not pride,” Aya said. “I want us to both be free.”

“...Free?” Bakuub muttered. 

**_"Can I at least know the names of the people keeping me prisoner?_ ** **_"_ **

Even after everything, did she still feel like a prisoner? Even when she hunted with them? When they helped her, provided for her? After all the sacrifices his brother made to ensure her health? 

“Is my brother so horrible to you?”

Aya tensed, gritting her teeth. “No, he’s not...He’s never been horrible, and that’s exactly the problem.”

What?

“Something’s starting to happen between us.” How was that a bad thing? Yes, there were going to be some who opposed such a concept, but with how more and more oomans were being accepted, it was only a matter of time and- “And, none of it is real.”

“...Explain.”

Normally ordering a female to do anything was a bad idea, but Bakuub needed to understand the best he could.

She met his gaze evenly. “It’s a common way to cope for many species back on Earth that if they’re held captive or in danger, to seek refuge by whoever or whatever they view as being in power, even if it’s someone hurting them. Your brother hasn’t hurt me, not really, but he is basically held captive by the Code, which means in his stress he’s going to naturally seek some form of safety to make sense of the situation. In other words, he’s going to start feeling like he wants or needs me if he doesn’t already.”

“We’re not of Earth.”

“No, but you are a sentient species that has a moral code and emotions. Our civilizations may be drastically different, but some elements are the same, enough to make me doubtful of any bond we’ve started to form.” She inspected her daggers, her fingers tracing along the hilt. It was his brother’s handiwork. “I’m an ass, and a fool, and a lot of other things that are too much to go into right now, but I don’t want to damage your brother’s life more than I already have. And even more so, I want us to live as people, not as people forced to depend on each other.”

Still in disbelief, he gestured to her abdomen. “You. Are. PREGNANT.”

“And do you think that even if you tried to stop me, that I won’t find a way to the hunting preserve on my own?”

  
“...YOU. ARE. PREGNANT!” Bakuub had the strong urge to strangle something, and he couldn’t strangle her. Pauk. “Do you have any idea how maddening you are?”

She bore an expression he couldn’t read. “People have told me all my life that I’m troublesome. I think it’s about time I relieve others of me being a burden.”

This ooman, was just too much. 

“Don’t you even want to know _why_?”

“I assume it has something to do with honor or being a warrior, hence why I would be willing to kill a _Bad Blood_ human, over just any kind of human prey,” she said flatly, gathering her weapons. “Let me know if I’m wrong.”

WAtching her start to walk away, he clicked to himself. Had they truly started to become that predictable to her? “Yes and no. Killing a ooman would be the final element to proving you’re not only capable of survival, but of living among us. All of your other teachings would also have to be complete.”

She nodded. “See? And what happens if those tasks aren’t completed by the time my baby’s born? Would they still have the same rights as promised, or because they are born _after_ I prove my worth, that means their blood wouldn’t be worthy either?”

Why did this ooman have to make sense in the oddest of ways? He stepped in front of her in the attempt to block her way. “Aya. You. ARE. _PREGNANT!_ ”

“Yes, and I’m going to kick your butt if you don’t get out of my way.”*

The doors opened then to reveal not only Than-guan, but Skemte. It was unusual to see so many males in the females’ quarters of the ship. Than-guan looked up and down Aya’s armored form.

“You’re ready.”

“I am,” Aya affirmed.

Skemte looked as if he were having a migraine. “I can’t believe this is happening. She’s _pregnant_ , Than-guan.”

“You didn’t seem to care about that before you said she had to kill another of her species.”

Aya glanced at Skemte, but pointedly ignored him. “I take it he’s coming along to witness?”

“Yes. Do you want me to come along?” Than-guan asked.

“...I think someone needs to keep Bhu’ja distracted. If these males are reacting so badly, I don’t want to know how Bhu’ja’s going to take this.”

Than-guan nodded, then turned to both males. “No harm shall befall her under your watch. Am I clear?”

Even with Skemte as a newly made Elder, it was well understood that Than-guan was the one with the power in the room. Both males nodded, and Aya stepped aside to speak to Than-guan for a moment, alone. He couldn't hear their words, but he knew whatever it was, it had to be important.

“This is madness.”

Bakuub couldn’t find it in himself to disagree. 

* * *

“Aya, you do not have to do this.”

The human didn’t even look up at Bakuub as she sharpened her spear. Kata’nu and other Young bloods were traveling with them, their teachers and a couple of Elites nearby. All were visibly concerned, sharing doubt. Even the Elite that challenged her was starting to appear worried.

“Do you have files on what Bad Bloods you have? You have to pick them out somehow and I’m guessing you’ll have information compiled on them. I want to select who I’m going to kill so that no one else makes a claim.”

She had said it calmly, as if there was absolutely nothing wrong when there obviously was.

“Aya-”

The Elite reluctantly walked over, a datapad in hand. She began scrolling through the images and names, a couple of them she snorted at. “A serial killer? That would be interesting. From the information, he’s not a sociopath, but a psychopath.”

“What’s the difference?” one of the young bloods asked, curious.

“A psychopath is more manipulative, more prone to be persuasive or trick their prey. They are calculative, measuring their risks and tend to use people more often to gain advantage. A sociopath tends to have strong emotions and be more aggressive. Both may disregard laws, have difficulty following moral and societal norms, and may struggle feeling guilt for their actions.”

The yautja listened with intrigue as she continued. “Sociopaths are capable of forming attachments, few they may be, have greater insecurities, and may lash out more. Psychopaths can mimic emotions, and more easily blend in so that few notice any irregularities. They’re arguably more dangerous.”

“Why do they differ so much?” another young blood asked.

“...Psychopaths are born the way they are, sociopaths are products of trauma or some form of abuse, violence has affected their mind to a negative state.” She scrolled further. “Some of the worst humans in history were psychopaths, serial killers, rapists, etcetera. There are some that are good, working in economics and places where logic is beneficial. They still can struggle though.”

She scrolled past the serial killer, “If you want, someone else can have him since he might truly be the ultimate prey. I don’t want someone easy to hunt, even the most resilient of humans can fall prey to people like him, and I don’t want to place my pup in more risk than necessary.”

There was no fear in her expression, and no scent that suggested such emotions either. She was honest, muttering words under her breath about more 'Bad Blood humans' that the young ones were intrigued to listen to. Even the Elites were listening. This was surprisingly valuable information on how to hunt oomans.

Then, her eyes widened on the image of a ooman, dread pouring off of her, and for a moment, her breath quickened. “No way...It can’t be...Not _him_ …”

“Aya?” Bakuub questioned. She flinched when he tried to touch her, rage pouring off of her instead. It wasn’t her normal rage however. This wasn’t fire, it was ice that somehow managed to burn. Her eyes darkened with something Bakuub had only seen in two oomans before in his centuries of existence. “Aya?”

She walked up to the Elite, “This one is mine.”

The Elite tensed, seeing the image. “Are you sure? He’s-”

“He’s wronged me in the past. Even without the hunt, I have a greater claim to him than anyone here,” Even the great warrior was frozen by the utter hatred in her eyes. “You will _not_ tell the others his crimes to anyone except the council.” She was ordering him. She was ordering an _Elite_ , and she didn’t seem to care about the rank as she normally did. “He’s mine to hunt, am I clear?”

The Elite marked the prey, slowly nodding. “Yes, you’re clear.”

“Good.”

Bakuub hadn’t felt such anger, such bloodlust, in a long time.

“Elite, who is she hunting?”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Roll credits?
> 
> Anyways, the next chapter might take a while because there's supposed to be a lot of action scenes, and things get dark. Like, really dark.


	28. Freedom Part 2/3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Writing this arc has been difficult for multiple reasons, largely because I'm not sure as to how well I'm executing the messages I'm trying to write.
> 
> Next chapter should be out soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Violence and mentions of sexual assault. Some dark thoughts are expressed. Reader discretion is advised.

Skemte was an Elder, a newly made one but an Elder still. To be an Elder, one had to accomplish many things over a certain period of time. He had lived for centuries, fighting and battling the great enemies and prey his people had ever known. In that time, he had witnessed many evils.

As weak and useless as he viewed oomans sometimes, he had witnessed occasional glimpses of greater potential, only for the oomans to snuff themselves out. Skemte had heard many describe this ‘Aya’ as having fire-like eyes, but that wasn’t something he had paid much attention to before. After all, flames died out quickly, burning themselves into oblivion.

“This one is mine.”

This tone of voice did not belong to fire, but ice. It was a voice filled with blades of cold, the kind that froze and yet seared into flesh. The kind that caused screams in its victims. She bore it better than he ever heard from anyone.

The Elite tensed, seeing the image. It was a ooman male. He looked like any other, but the description indicated very differently. He was one of the worst sorts of Bad Bloods imaginable. Anyone could commit violence, but it took someone truly dishonorable to do the things he had. And Aya, Aya was female. Aya was a _pregnant_ female. 

Female yautja were larger and stronger than their males, never to be underestimated. Female oomans though, were not like female yautja, especially not to their own species. They were more vulnerable, more susceptible to harm. This ooman male, Skemte held no doubts over the depravity the male would be willing to do, regardless of Aya’s physical state.

“Are you sure? He’s-”

There was no hesitation. No anger. Nothing but cold. Shivers ran up and down his spine, and he had to force himself to breathe. It was as if there was no air in the room. Sketme would know. He was once thrown out an airlock into the void of space. It wasn’t for long, over before he could even blink, but that feeling, the claws of the Black Hunter, Cetanu, digging into his flesh would always haunt him. This ooman was making him feel that again, and yet again, he felt powerless, unable to look away from Death itself.

“He’s wronged me in the past. Even without the hunt, I have a greater claim to him than anyone here.”

Those eyes, those were not of fire, but icy wrath from the deepest pits of the Black Hunter’s realm, where corpses lay in frostbitten ashes and desolation. And those eyes wanted one thing.

“You will not tell the others his crimes to anyone except the council.” She was ordering him, and he couldn’t think of any reason to disobey. He could barely think at all. Except, those eyes. They were searching his. They wanted an answer, a response to something both said, and unsaid. “He’s mine to hunt, am I clear?”

It took effort to nod, effort to mark the female ooman’s prey in the datapad, to warn the other yautja away from taking him as their own. “Yes, you’re clear.”

“Good.”

She walked away, all of the yautja stepping out of her path, some moving quicker than others. It was only when Aya was a certain distance away that Skemte was able to breathe. It hurt to swallow the air, as if he were taking his very first breaths of life once more. He had to relearn how.

“Elite, who is she hunting?”

Elder, Skemte was an Elder now. But he couldn’t be bothered to correct Bakuub. No, he found himself wondering what he had just unleashed by bringing the pregnant ooman with them.

* * *

All of the Young Bloods but one stayed away from the ooman female as they arrived. It was Kata’nu who uttered concerns and questions to Aya. She didn’t appear to hear him, the cold still radiating off her. Skemte could only wonder what would happen once that cold broke free.

He searched the jungle around them, ensuring that the group was the only one with yautja in it. Previous times, they brought Bad Blood yautja here as prey, as practice for Young Bloods. Most in that party had been decimated, the Bad Bloods altering their own DNA to be stronger. They had even begun to form their own clan here. At least, until one group of oomans nearly killed them off.

But that was a long time ago. Years have passed, and Skemte saw as the oomans who defeated the Bad Blood Clan were destroyed themselves. All prey can be defeated, given time. After all, everyone falls to the Black Hunter.

In the jungle heat, Skemte almost jumped as he felt the cold air drift past him. Glancing out of his eye, he wondered how he hadn’t noticed the ooman walking in his direction. She bore the expression that caused his nerves to be on edge. Oomans should _not_ be able to make such a aura. It’s disturbing.

He was all too grateful when she put her mask on. The short relief was swiftly followed by wariness as it began to rain. This would make cloaking difficult, but a challenge was always good. The Young Bloods would get good experience. As for the female ooman...

“Remember the code,” Skemte said their their communication devices. All the Young Bloods were listening. The ooman was listening as well. He gave directions, and had the others leave first, Bakuub and the ooman staying behind. “The rain will make it trickier to hunt.”

“I didn’t need a cloaking device before I met any of you, and I certainly don’t need one now.” It wasn’t confidence she spoke with, but certainty. She wasn’t acting like a foolish youth, but someone with experience. That wasn’t something he’d expected to hear from her, or any human for that matter. “If I can hunt down a Queen Amedha Kainde without your people’s gear, _while pregnant_ , do you honestly think I can’t hunt down a lone human?”

Whenever Skemte thought of the ooman before, he thought of the one that glared at him before bursting into laughter and tears upon feeling her pup kick. The female of back then, did not fit the image before him, not at all.

Bakuub hissed, “It’s still too danger-”

She didn’t even wait, running faster than Skemte had witnessed any ooman do. She ran through the tall grass, up one of the trees that rose parallel to the ground, and leapt into one of the trees. As she jumped, lightning lit up the storming skies, illuminating her figure. For a moment, he saw a figure moving by her side, one far larger than life. He could’ve sworn the figure narrowed its eyes at him, and claws dug into his skin once more. It was only once her form wasn’t against the sky that he saw it was a cloud once more.

“...Skemte?”

“Elder, Elder Skemte,” the warrior clicked as he corrected Bakuub, almost croaking. “We’ll follow her, monitor the situation, and only interfere if need be.”

As an Elder, he was one of few, besides an Ancient, that could step in during a Hunt even if he didn’t have permission. There were certain circumstances he could do so, and this was one of those rare times he could by the Code. Oh there were limits to what he was allowed, but he could defend his actions if need be.

“Are we really going to let her do this?”

“...”

**_Then, her eyes widened on the image of a ooman, dread pouring off of her, and for a moment, her breath quickened. “No way...It can’t be...Not_ ** **him** **_…”_ **

Skemte watched the ooman run, determination radiating off her. 

**_“You will not tell the others his crimes to anyone except the council.”_ **

The male ooman had only committed a specific type of crime, and the victims few. He wouldn’t doubt it if the files were incomplete, not with how she reacted. She didn’t want anyone else to know. And he wouldn’t tell.

**_"She's a ooman, prey, weak."_ **

“...Don’t ask me that again.”

* * *

  
  


Aya had found the oomans’ camp first. There were only five of them, all were Bad Bloods, criminals from their world. Some had swords, others firearms, and a couple had no weaponry at all. It was arguable they didn’t need it. Skemte knew what kinds of Bad Bloods these were. One was a serial killer, another was a world class assassin, two were soldiers that had committed dishonorable acts, and the last...

The female ooman’s gaze was fixated on a lone male ooman, her prey.

Bakuub moved to her side. “You don’t have to do this.”

She had her hand on her lower abdomen. Skemte partially wished he could read her expression, but also could not rid the image of Cetanu acting as her shadow out of his mind. Had that been an illusion? A fabrication of his mind?

The female ooman didn’t answer Bakuub, merely directed her attention towards her prey. Near them, most of the Young Bloods were sharing ideas, experimenting using details involving their training. Yet, all eyes were on Aya. It wasn’t every day that you learned to hunt a species from the mind of one of their own.

Later, when all were supposed to be resting, he found Aya once more, still watching the male.

“You knew him.”

She didn’t answer him at first, considering her words carefully, as if measuring their worth. “He’s...The unwanted biological donor of my pup.”

There was a heaviness there, exhaustion, merely from saying that collection of syllables. It made him wonder how old this ooman was. She looked young, but to be this mature she had to have aged quickly.

“Unwanted?”

She clenched her fist, inhaling and exhaling slowly. “I’ve chosen my pup, but I never chose him, or ever intended to.” 

Her gaze finally moved on from her prey as she let herself sit down. She leaned her head back against the tree, a hand over her lower abdomen. She was exhausted. One didn’t need to see her face to know that. 

“You want justice, vengeance.”

“Those two things aren’t always the same thing you know,” she murmured. The ooman was quiet for a long moment. “What I want most is to be able to sleep again without the memory of him haunting me.”

Her voice was hoarse, broken, tired. It was as if her soul was heavier, older, than her physical form could bear. After a moment, Skemte took out snacks that Bakuub had prepared for the ooman, offering them. She was tense, but slowly removed her mask, beginning to consume the sustenance provided.

“And his death will free you?”

Why did he feel the urge to speak with her? Why did he think she’d reply? What reason would she have to tell him anything?

“No, but I’ve thought about it before, killing him,” she confessed. ”All the ways I’ve wanted to get revenge, to hurt him as he’s hurt me...Yet no choice seems to be the right one.”

What did that mean?

He wanted to get angry, to yell in his confusion, but seeing her this way was something he wasn’t sure how to react to. He had heard of instances like this, had read stories, but it’s not quite the same as meeting someone, or experiencing it.

“You won’t kill him?”

“Oh, I will,” she murmured. “I’m just not sure how to go about it. Strange, I normally try to think about these decisions beforehand.” 

Thinking carefully, he sat next to her. He was sitting next to a ooman. Maybe he would come to regret this later, but he wanted to understand. He wanted to understand the ooman that carried such a weight. “...Anything that happens here is for my and the Council to hear only. Perhaps one of the Ancient Ones as he advocated to you, but it is ultimately your choice as to who to share what happens here.”

She sighed and reluctantly said, “...I wanted to provide a life for me and my baby without his interference, without the memory of him haunting me. I didn’t want him to gain control, to rule over me in any capacity.”

It was hard to imagine anyone controlling this ooman. Her ferocity and rage made it seem difficult to believe.

“Maybe it’s different for yautja, but on Earth if you let others sway your emotions, especially if it causes erroneous decision-making, then it means someone else is in control. By giving in to that urge, to my anger regarding the male, that means he’s won.”

What?

“And more so, how I dispose of him is going to affect me for the rest of my life, possibly affect my pup. I’ve imagined tearing out his genitals, making him watch me burn them before feeding them and him to wildlife.”

A dark smirk curled in her lips, the sneer belying her bloodlust. The rain seemed to turn crimson before his very eyes, the shadows around her beginning to form a figure that haunted his worst of days. He was frozen.

“I’ve imagined hunting him down as an animal, but that’s an insult to worthy prey. I’ve considered making every singly moment for the rest of his life to be filled with horrors and torture that’ll render him unrecognizable…”

A flash of lightning pierced the skies, the thunder erupting in bellows of fear. Or, was that Skemte hallucinating? Gods, he hoped he was hallucinating.

“But then I’ll always have to remember him like that, and what I’d done to him…And I’ll remember what I’ve done every time I look at my own pup.”

For a moment, he could’ve sworn he saw eyes starting at him from the shadows she projected. They were staring at him accusingly as if the whole thing was his fault. C’jit.

Aya clutched at her arm, trembling. “I want to scream, yell, hit him and make him tell me how he could possibly think what he did to me was acceptable. I want to understand, to make sense of what he did.”

She laughed then. It was horrid laugh, one full of bitterness as her fingertips became more claw-like in their rage. “Gods I’ve, I’ve rerun the memories in my mind thousands of times, thinking of all the ways I could’ve, should’ve been able to stop what happened. Even though I shouldn’t, I keep asking myself what I could’ve done differently. And what if...I hadn’t been so weak? What if there had been some way out of it? Just, what if-?”

Weak, Skemte had called her weak. And she’d been calling herself that all this time, hadn’t she?

Her hand was on her distending lower abdomen, where Skemte could almost swear he saw movement. It was the only place he hadn’t seen the shadow of Cetanu cover her, though he could have sworn he still felt that malevolent gaze. 

“I’ve thought about having him know my baby exists. I’ve thought about him never being able to know they exist. And...I just feel hollow, empty, and like I'm going to scream and burst at the seams at any second.”

Was it always like that for her? Being so angry and hurt? How much of her pride and emotions was she swallowing up to satisfy them? To keep her pup safe?

“And the thing I fear most is that whenever I look at my baby, am I going to see _him_ .” Tightness filled Skemte’s chest. “I love my baby, and I don’t want to hate them. I want to see _them_ . Not me, not him, _them_. I want to be able to hold them without feeling like I’m losing myself or flinching away.”

The ache was disappearing, being filled with anger and frustration. The fire was becoming ice again, more terrible with every second she glared at the ooman who made her suffer. It was a wonder he didn’t freeze or perish from her eyes alone.

“On Earth, he’d have been able to walk away, maybe even claim the right of parenthood to my baby. He’d force me to see him as often as _he_ desired. I’d be the bad mother for preventing him from seeing _my_ baby. I could even lose my rights to be a parent because I wouldn’t let him be one. _He_ would literally _own_ her.”

Skemte was recalling all of the reasons he despised oomans again. 

“And, again, I wouldn’t have a choice. It’d be taken from me.”

There were reasons Bad Bloods were disposed of the way they were. There was a reason that Bad Bloods were hunted down. They didn’t deserve to live for the things they had done. Even with all of the differences between oomans and yautja, it wasn’t hard to recognize injustice. What mattered was what one did to rectify it. If oomans would do nothing for their own, then the yautja would at least enable Aya to choose the Bad Blood’s fate.

“...Here, you will _always_ have a choice,” Skemte murmured, surprised at himself for those words. “You may not always like those choices, but you will have them.”

If she heard, she didn’t indicate anything. The shadows had receded, leaving a lone ooman drenched in rain and light.

Instead, she sounded broken once more. 

“I’m just so, I’m so tired of it all.”

* * *

“She’s going to _what?_!”

Than-guan didn’t even hesitate. “She’s going to kill another ooman, to set you free from your sworn duty.”

**Should she die, it would be his fault. He and the others had seen what she was capable of. She was a true huntress at heart, and had undeniable strength and intelligence. She would have survived this, if not for the injuries she received both from him, and protecting him.**

**_It would be his fault such a magnificent being was lost. It would be his fault her offspring, who would no doubt be as amazing as her, was lost. It was his fault he failed his fellow hunters, and himself._ **

Bhu’ja felt his chest tighten. Aya was a fierce warrior, one not to be underestimated, but she was also in a vulnerable state.

“Why?”

**_"I have no guarantee of your skills in combat." He let out a growl in irritation, but she continued on anyways. "I can't trust you to protect me and my child as you claim you will, because I have no seen you capable of doing such a thing," she said as neutrally as possible. "And if you can't defend me, I want to be able to defend myself and my child if you either aren't there, or can't fulfill your promise._ ** _"_

Did she not think he could protect her? He thought after all this time that they were understanding one another, that she believed in him, that…

**_He had gotten there too late. Yes, she survived, and even conquered her enemies, but the fact she had to showed how poor of a protector he was. He had sworn to keep her and her child safe, and_ ** **failed** **_._ **

But how could he blame her for not wanting to be around him? For rejecting him?

“Bhu’ja, she is a female that does not want to depend on others.” Than-guan spoke in a tone that left no room for questioning, even with the millions of things he wanted to say. “And more so, I believe on some level she cares about you. How she shows her affection and how she cares differs from how we show it. Or do you forget she’s ooman?”

**_“When oomans groom one another, it’s intimate. And according to some ooman cultures, what you just did is a proposal to be life mates.”_ **

Admittedly, sometimes she made it hard to remember that she wasn’t a yautja, but he also found it hard to recall she was a ooman. Oomans were prey, something to hunt. Aya wasn't prey at all. She was something far more worthy, and there were times he wondered if she’d ever consider him worthy of anything.

**_A small part of him was annoyed that he had been pulled out of the meeting, but other, stronger emotions, made that part silent. Aya, the formidable female , was reaching out to him. It wasn’t for mating, he knew that, but she still wanted him by her side when she had to make herself vulnerable. Trust did not come easily to her, but she wanted him to keep her safe._ **

No, she trusted him.

**_You’re good at crafting things.”_ **

**_Bhu’ja stared, “You could tell I made it?”_ **

**_She took out one of the daggers he made for her. “They’re very similar in design. You have a bit of an artist in you.” Was that a compliment, or not? Remembering how she liked ‘animation’ and drawings, he decided he’d take it as a strange form of a compliment._ **

She liked the things he made.

**_She was wearing the clothing he made. She brushed her mane with the comb he crafted from his prey. Through this, their scents intermingled at times to the point where he wondered if it would drive him mad..._ **

“It doesn’t matter if she’s ooman,” he said, for far more reasons than one. “Than-guan, I’m supposed to be by her side-”

“And that’s one of the main reasons she’s doing this.” What? Than-guan grunted something under her breath. “She believes that any feelings developing at this time are going to be false because in her point of view, you’re being forced to be with her. She said her people called it a ‘coping mechanism’ that individuals experience when under stress or overpowered. She feels that in the present, the two of you aren’t equals as she would like.”

“But, I’ve always made sure she was the one who-?”

“Exactly,” Than-guan stated. “You’ve given her far more control in this life than I believe most of those she’s known has. While it has granted her some liberation, she feels she is harming you because of it, and that any kindness or affection are false.”

Shaking his head, Bhu’ja murmured, “But, what I feel isn’t false.”

“And how is she to be sure of that? How is she to feel safe not just at your side, but in her own body and soul?”

He wanted to shove the female in front of him out of the way, protest something, argue, anything to get to Aya as soon as possible. Yet… “So, I should just accept that she’s going to get herself hurt? That she’ll leave in one way or another?”

“That is up to the two of you, Bhu’ja,” Than-guan said. She placed a hand on his shoulder. “Bhu’ja, this is something that she needs to do for herself, and not just you. It’s not that she doesn’t trust you, she doesn’t trust herself, and that needs to change.”

Even if that meant doing it without him?

Nearby, Terminator whimpered, and Bhu’ja tried not to roar or vent out his frustration. Damn it all.

**_“We’ll talk later.” When his doubt showed, she frowned, and walked over to him, taking his hand in her tiny ones. “I promise.”_ **

**_So, he let her go, holding her to her word._ **

She promised. She promised to return, to speak with him. If he went after her, what would she do? What would she think?

“Than-guan, I can’t just leave her.”

“You aren’t, young one.” Than-guan released him. “She’s your pupil just as she is your charge. There’s only so much we can teach the youth, the rest they need to do on their own. If this is one of the obstacles she’s to overcome, then would you not only do more harm by preventing what needs to be done?”

**_It was a moment frozen in time, the image forever seared into his mind as she roared back. The image, life, slowed as the end of the arrow released from her fingertips, cutting part of her cheek. Surrounded by flame and ruin, firing from a tactical position on her knees. She was illuminated, but not overwhelmingly so. It was as if she was part of the reason the light was there, as if it resonated with her anger._ **

“...I won’t go after her, but I do want to be nearby in case she needs me.”

That would have to be enough for now, wouldn’t it?

Pauk, this ooman was going to be the death of him.

* * *

  
  


The oomans' group had been split up during the hunt. All of the Young Bloods were chasing their respective targets, and Aya? She was with Skemte, the ooman swift in her chase for her prey. As she did, she took out a combistick. She glanced over her shoulder once or twice, making sure that the other oomans were following. They weren’t.

It was becoming clear that the ooman male was not going to be much of a challenge from his lack of evasion tactics, or survival skills. Still, he posed a danger to someone, anyone remotely vulnerable. Skemte was truly starting to regret his decision from earlier.

“...Skemte, you can watch since you need to verify whatever I do here, but don’t interfere.”

If she were any other Young Blood, female or not, he’d punish her for assuming she could command him as not only an Elite, but a newly made Elder. Behind him, a distance away, he signaled for the rest of the Young Bloods to continue to seek out and eliminate their own prey. Bakuub and the others would monitor that situation. He would observe this one.

In the trees, he watched as the ooman male sauntered over to a tree, relieving himself. Aya waited, her armor cloaking her appearance as she shifted the weight of the combistick in her hand.

“...Is someone there?” The male turned around, wandering eyes searching. They narrowed, right to where Aya was. “I know you’re there.”

The sonorous cries of thunder echoed in the air, a flash of light revealing Aya’s form before she did. The male took steps back, “What the-? The hell are you?”

Aya didn’t answer. She only started walking, the two quickly circling each other. At least, until Aya played a recording back to him. It was the ooman’s own voice. 

“ _The hell are you?”_

Echoes of thunder were soon joined by the screams of the other oomans that the yautja were hunting. Aya took advantage of the distraction, running at the male and throwing her arm. The male caught it only to be caught off guard when she kicked him across the face. She made fists and brought them down on his back, hard.

The male landed on the ground, barely rolling out of the way when a spear nearly went through his skull. As he rolled, Aya slammed a heel into his wrists, bones audibly snapping. He roared in fury, his other hand grabbing onto her ankle. She twisted as she fell, kneeing him in the throat, leaving him coughing while she got back onto her feet. 

As she did, she grabbed her combistick, and threw it.

The ooman male pulled out a firearm, and pointed it straight at Aya.

...

..

.

Someone fell, crimson mixing with the pouring rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm expecting that this arc may be considered controversial for what happens.
> 
> PS Sleep, where art thou?


	29. Freedom Part 3/3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Violence, fluff, confessions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter, not only because of controversial ways of handling Aya's situation, but also because there are multiple reasons this arc is called "Freedom".
> 
> Hopefully it doesn't disappoint.
> 
> Everyone, thank you for reading!

Aya grunted as she landed on the ground, rolling to dodge the bullet. Skemte tensed, yearning to get up and help, if only due the fact that it was a pregnant female in harm’s way. He held back, barely. Aya stood up slowly, hand over her lower abdomen as she audibly panted, even with the mask on. She was physically exerting herself more than she should. As for the ooman male...

The male had just started getting up when he was pinned into a tree by the combistick, choking on his own blood.

The crimson of it was flowing into the ground, mixing with the clearer waters from the rain. His eyes were wide as he stared at Aya, mouth opening and closing as if he were drowning and desperate for air. Well, in a way he was. However, there was a light in his eyes. He recognized the female ooman somehow.

“That, that throw…” he coughed, croaking. His eyes were wide as he stared in the female ooman’s direction. “A-Aya?”

She tilted her head, and after a moment, she took off her mask. He let out a shocked, pained noise and the female? Her expression wasn’t full of rage, or fear. She was void of anything. If anything, she just looked tired.

“B-But why?”

“...You’ve got to be the shittiest prey I’ve ever hunted,” she finally said, walking over. “Seriously, hunting alien dinosaurs and other Bad Bloods was more of a challenge than you are.”

Out of everything Skemte had expected to hear, that wasn’t it. Clearly, the ooman male hadn’t been expecting that either.

“W-What?”

Grabbing the hilt of the combistick, she twisted it further into the other ooman's upper chest cavity, causing him to scream in harmony with the other oomans that were being hunted by the yautja. She looked the male in the eyes, searching for something that Skemte was unsure of. At the same time, the shadows in the water reflected an almost unseen figure that Skemte wished he was imagining. It was glaring at the male just as Aya was.

Was she being possessed? Was Skemte going mad?

“You know, I’ve thought of thousands of ways I could kill you, to make you hurt for what you did to me…To gods know who else you took advantage of.” Her gaze was hard, piercing, leaving no room to breathe for any who saw it. “But now? I just want to be able to fucking sleep at night.”

With that, she took out a dagger, one filled with intricate carvings and symbols, and slashed the male’s throat, blood splattering all over her. The male gurgled, his eyes falling on her lower abdomen in realization of something, his hand starting to reach across that short distance, never making its mark. Aya either didn’t notice, or couldn’t bring herself to care.

As she watched the life leave the male’s eyes, she said, “Your skull isn’t worth being a trophy.”

The dagger, one of Bhu’ja’s handiwork, was used to slice through flesh and bone, the head falling at Aya’s feet. The eyes in the male’s head rolled, turning vacant and lifeless. Then, Aya tossed his head up to Skemte. It wasn’t the first time he’d held ooman remains, but for some reason this one felt more disgusting than most. It didn’t take him long to figure out how or why.

“If the Council doubts your word or any of the recordings, there’s some more freakin’ proof. Now, I’m gonna kill something else cause I’m pissed off.”

Skemte watched her leave, the female picking up her spear and cleaning her daggers as she went, not a mark on her. 

...That was anticlimactic.

Yet, what had he been expecting? This ooman killed Bad Bloods and who knew how many kainde amedha, including a Queen. They were hunting Bad Bloods, so why take a trophy? Although, he wouldn’t blame her if she had.

It was just, he thought there’d be more violence, more blood, more satisfaction? Was it truly vengeance she sought?

**_“I just want to be able to fucking sleep at night.”_ **

…

..

.

Who was he to judge what she needed?

* * *

Aya was exhausted, and worse yet, she was pissed off. 

All of the ways she thought the scenario could go down, Aya could honestly say this wasn’t the way she imagined it, even when she joined the yautja.

Examining the blade Bhu’ja had gifted her, she thought of the male who had given her so much. He gave her a home, a sanctuary, armor, weapons...He gave her peace in more ways than one. By now, the other yautja had hunted their prey, but Aya didn’t care. She had so much pent up energy to rid herself of, to let out.

But first, she took herself to a secluded area, one full of shadows and darkness and…

Damn, she wanted to blame the sounds and tears that burst out of her as hormones, but they weren’t. None of it was.

On Earth, she couldn’t, wouldn’t have ever done what she just did. But, this wasn’t on Earth and she did it to save her child and Bhu’ja, didn’t she? It wasn’t just out of bloodlust or violence, right? She wanted to say and do so much more to make the bastard pay for what he did, but would that really have helped anything?

... It was getting hard to tell what was wrong or right anymore.

“Aya?” It was Bakuub. “Are you hurt?”

Fuck, and he found her while she was falling apart. It just felt like she wanted to scream, to hit something, anything. It wasn’t safe for him, or anyone to be around her. Shit. “No…” Wincing, she murmured, “Yes? I’ll be fine.”

He was at her side immediately, starting to lecture her until he saw her face. “...You killed a ooman, didn’t you?”

She let out a huff of a laugh, raking her hand through her hair. There was a pressure building up in her, and she wanted to explode, to let it all out so badly. “I didn’t expect it to be that easy. He just...It was too easy.”

It wasn’t, it really wasn’t. Not because of the fighting aspect, but because of how his face, those expressions, his voice? How they tore into her. It had only made her angrier and conflicted for reasons she hadn’t expected. Gods, she didn’t want to see his face in her mind again. She was so sick of it.

“Shit, if he died that easily do I need to hunt someone else?” she hissed, the heel of her palm against her forehead. Just how much was it going to take for her to prove her worth? It was all so headache inducing. “Do I need to-?”

“Mo,” he said. The translators they had were so weird sometimes. His hands on her shoulders were firm, unyielding. “I do not know what it will take to get through your head, Aya, but you. Are. Pregnant. You need rest.”

Aya wanted to say she’d been through worse injuries than this. 

**_She couldn’t move. Why couldn’t she move? And why was she lying on her stomach? She never did that. It always made her feel vulnerable and why was there something heavy at her back? It was warm, and moving, and everything hurt. Why did everything hurt?!_ **

****

**_A voice whispered in her ear, “Stop crying. I’ll be done soon enough. We both just need a little practice...Practice makes perfect...”_ **

That she’d felt worse. 

**_It was when she eaten a few more candies from a vending machine that she became dizzy, falling to her knees against her will. Her side and abdomen hurt, and they hurt a lot. She prayed that none of it had been contaminated. A large part of her wanted to get some pain killers, but she didn't know the side effects of the ones that were there. So, she was just going to have to suck it up and-_ **

But honestly? All the emotions she’d had combined with her past? 

**_"What do you want from me?" She was screaming, pissed off and in pain. "You tried to fucking kill me, and you killed my baby, my baby!" The creature visibly flinched, all three did, whether at her words or her rage, she couldn't tell. She didn't even bother to hide her tears. "You'd better give me a damned good reason not to fucking slaughter you."_ **

Constantly feeling pressured to impress people? Hunting that asshole down? Seeing him again?

She hadn’t been lying when she said she just wanted to be able to sleep...

**_Trilling softly, Bhu’ja asked, “What do you need?”_ **

****

Damn, there were so many things she wanted in life. She wanted a safe place, she wanted to be a good mother, she wanted freedom, and strangely most of all, she just wanted a friend. She wanted someone she could depend on. It didn’t have to be for a day. Hell, maybe not even an hour.

It was selfish, but all she wanted in that moment, was for Bhu’ja to be by her side. She wanted to hold onto him, to tell him everything and...He was free, so he would have no reason to be around her anymore.

Aya was truly alone now.

And it felt like everything was suffocating her.

“Aya?”

She didn’t even look at Bakuub. “I’m just so tired, Bakuub. I just, I just want to go  _ home _ .”

Home? Since when did she start thinking of her new prison as a home? Damned Stockholm Syndrome and fucking aliens and just...Why couldn’t she get angry at the thought of  _ them _ like she did everything back on Earth?

She didn’t even put up much of a fight when Bakuub scooped her up, purring deeply to calm her. It was like Bhu’ja’s, at all, but it was calming. Her body, mind,  _ everything _ , was just so tired.

...If anyone was listening, please,  _ please _ , just let her sleep.

* * *

  
  


Bhu’ja would never forget seeing his brother carry Aya’s slumbering form in his arms. The Elder Skemte had placed a blanket over her, and the Young Bloods watched warily.

“Congratulations, Bhu’ja.” Bhu’ja had turned to look at Skemte. He had expected the Elder to be more thrilled, more exuberant, or at least annoyed. Instead, he seemed numb. “You are free from your bonds. You are free of  _ her _ .”

Kata’nu’s eyes found Bhu’ja’s first, a silent, and unneeded plea reaching out to him, wanting him to do, say anything to keep this from being true. Bhu’ja had known that Kata’nu and Aya had been growing close, but he doubted Aya knew just how much she affected others.

**_“You’ve given her far more control in this life than I believe most of those she’s known has. While it has granted her some liberation, she feels she is harming you because of it, and that any kindness or affection are false.”_ **

****

**_Shaking his head, Bhu’ja murmured, “But, what I feel isn’t false.”_ **

****

**_“And how is she to be sure of that? How is she to feel safe not just at your side, but in her own body and soul?”_ **

Bhu’ja didn’t understand everything about his ooman or her choices, her beliefs, and he doubted he ever would, but he knew he wasn’t able to just let all of this go.

Than-guan said she would take Aya back to her quarters after seeing the physicians, and assured him that he would be speaking with Aya after she received treatment. The ooman had promised they would after all.

“You are dressed for battle,” Skemte observed. 

“I was going to locate Aya on the hunting preserve.”

“To stop her? Help her?”

**_It was a moment frozen in time, the image forever seared into his mind as she roared back. The image, life, slowed as the end of the arrow released from her fingertips, cutting part of her cheek. Surrounded by flame and ruin, firing from a tactical position on her knees. She was illuminated, but not overwhelmingly so. It was as if she was part of the reason the light was there, as if it resonated with her anger._ **

“She’s never needed me to do either one, but if she wanted me to I will,” Bhu’ja said.

Skemte tilted his head in confusion, “You’re free. There’s no need to.”

“I know.”

With that, he left Skemte behind, asking for permission from Than-guan to stay with his troublesome, fierce, confusing ooman. She did, and in the present moment? He was lying next to her...

It had been two days.

The healers had cleaned her, treated her, and she still hadn’t awoken. He watched as her chest rose and fell, ebbing like the waves of oceans at times. Her brows had been furrowed when Bakuub carried her in despite how much he had purred, but when Bhu’ja was with her? Those lines in her forehead smoothed. The dark circles below her eyes were lessening, but he wished she’d awaken soon, if only for her to consume some form of nourishment.

Than-guan claimed that she was healing from more than just the physical stress she’d placed herself through, but wouldn’t elaborate any further. Nuzzling into her, he held her close, glad to sense her and the movement of the little one. It was one of the few things he could do in this situation, where he felt so helpless.

“...Bhu’ja?”

Half-opened eyes were tiredly looking up at him, as if wincing.

He couldn’t help himself as he cupped her cheek. The color was returning there. “Breathe.”

She stared up at him as if he was fathomless before inhaling and exhaling, shuddering as she did so. “Bhu’ja, I-”

Pulling her into an embrace, he asked, “What do you need?”

He was scared, confused, angry...But he knew she was too. Even if he wasn’t sworn by his people’s laws to watch over her, he was making his own vow to do so.

She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, her eyes watering as she rasped. “I, I need to scream.”

Aya was in pain, and if that was the way she needed to let out whatever she was experiencing...He tugged her closer, letting her bury her face into him. “Then don’t hold back.”

She trembled, pausing before she held onto him, her nails digging into his thick skin. At first, there was nothing but silent gasps erupting from her throat, as if it were restricting itself. Then, he heard a terrible, terrible sound. It was a battle cry, one of pain, of sorrow, and emotions he couldn’t begin to describe. Tears fell onto him as she cried out, shaking in his arms. He had known she was holding back a great deal, unsure how to express herself, but he hadn’t known it was this bad.

So, he waited, occasionally purring and rubbing her back in the pitiful attempt to comfort her. He didn’t know how long it had been by the time she was gasping for air. He just tried to do his best to be there.

“B-Bhu’ja,” she stuttered. “Why are you here? Didn’t, didn’t the others tell you-?”

Carefully he tilted up her chin, having her look him in the eye. “I’m bound to you, not by the laws of my people, but by the choices I’ve made...I choose  _ you _ , Aya.” 

She looked at him in disbelief. It hurt a little that she doubted him, but he also knew trust did not come easily to her. Aya swallowed audibly, starting to tremble as her mind tried to take her far away from him.

“Aya-”

“Bhu’ja, I’m really tired right now. I’m asking a lot but, can you stay a while longer? It doesn’t hurt as much when you’re here.”

He was tempted to tell her just how long she’d really been asleep, that he’d been by her side the whole time, but knew that she might require more rest than expected. And if his presence was what granted her some semblance of peace? Well, maybe he could be selfish just a bit longer.

“I’m here.”

Almost immediately, she fell asleep in his arms. And though it was naive, and perhaps a foolish concept, Bhu’ja wrapped himself around her as if he could shield her from everything.

* * *

Waking up, Aya found herself tracing some of Bhu’ja’s features with her fingers.

Her mind was still half asleep, so she couldn’t bring herself to feel shame.

Bhu’ja had stayed. He had really stayed. He didn’t have to. He never did, even with the laws of his people compelling him to see to her needs. He could’ve done a number of other things besides make her armor or a comb or blades…

Or even touch her. Fuck, his people showed disgust when they saw her. Humans were prey for crying out loud, and yet he had treated her with more kindness than she had ever known. All Bhu’ja had to do was provide basic necessities, or even just make sure she’d heal to the point of being capable. So, why? Why was he always so patient with her when no one on Earth had been?

“...Sometimes, I wonder what the hell you see in me,” she wondered out loud.

What had been his first impression of her? How much had it changed and why? Why was he still here? She jumped a little when a deep rumble said, “I saw a warrior, and I’ve learned you’re a fighter in more ways than one.”

Bhu’ja was awake, and he was looking at her. “You’re creative, clever, passionate, thoughtful…” Oh jeeze, Aya felt her cheeks burning in embarrassment. Bhu’ja smirked, rubbing her back as he continued. A part of her wanted to pull away, but honestly? Her back was aching. His hands on her felt nice. Maybe a little too nice. “Determined-”

Would he still be saying these things if he knew about her past? What happened? What she just did? Who she just killed?

Aya didn’t know what prompted it, but her mouth moved faster than her mind did.

“I was raped.” He stiffened, and Aya tried not to panic. Fucking piece of male bovine manure, what was wrong with her?! Was baby brain affecting her? Was she losing the filter between her mind and mouth?! “Back on Earth. He was someone I was trying to trust, to be friends with. He uh, he drugged me, took me to a hotel room and...Yeah. I was semi-conscious for most of it, in and out of it. And…” 

She winced. Shit, she really fucked this up. She’d kept it bottled up for so long, feeling guilty for not saying anything and it made her feel like she was falling apart. In the beginning it was a matter of staying alive and then Stockholm Syndrome made her feel stuff and now she might genuinely care about these people and she was running out of excuses. Fuck, she  _ was _ out of excuses.

“The human I killed? To free you and become more independent? It was him.” Bhu’ja was still quiet. “I, I’d understand if you don’t want to be around me anymore. I mean, I didn’t tell you guys because I knew I must seem weak for not being able to stop him and I-”

“You’re not weak.”

There was no room for doubt in his voice. He was certain she was strong, capable...No matter how hard Aya tried sometimes, she always felt like she was lacking something. She always felt lost. All those nice things Bhu’ja said? They felt like lies. It was hard to believe his words when she couldn’t believe in herself.

“Aya, the moment I saw you, I knew you to be worthy prey. Then I couldn’t help but see you as one of us no matter how much I tried not to ....I saw you as Aya, the ooman who drives me into madness with worry and concern. The ooman that treats me with kindness and consideration that I’m unused to. The ooman I care about.”

What? Her mind blanked as she tried to process what the fuck was happening.

“You are extraordinary, Aya, and I want to stay by your side, if you’ll let me.”

He wanted her.

Yautja don’t lie. It’s dishonorable to lie, to keep secrets according to their culture. Bhu’ja, he actually wanted her.

There wasn’t something there anymore dictating he had to be with her. It was his choice. And, it was her choice.

All her life people either tried to control her, or use her, or left her, and Bhu’ja never had.

This was nuts, and Aya must’ve been going insane because she was actually considering spending the rest of her life effectively married to an extraterrestrial. Wait, why didn’t the extraterrestrial part feel as big of a thing anymore? Fuck, she was going bonkers.

“I’m a mess,” she murmured. “And there are things you can’t fix for me, no matter how much you try.”

“I know,” he said, his stupid face making that annoying smirk. “Since when have I ever given the impression I’d want to fix you?”

He reached for her hand, and slowly, she started to squeeze back. Her mind was really fucked up, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever recover from all the bullshit she’d been through. Hell, what made her think she deserved this guy? She was broken and emotionally constipated and...

She wanted him too.

“I tried to hate you,” she admitted. A heaviness was lifting in her, and she felt lighter, less afraid. “I tried to be angry at you, and I don’t think I’ve ever had to  _ try _ being angry before. You just make it so easy to like you, you and the way you laugh, your art, your patience...I’m used to feeling caged, trapped, but with you? For the first time in my life, I think I got a taste of what freedom feels like. It’s selfish, but I don’t want to let this feeling go. And I, I don’t want to let  _ you _ go. Is that okay?”

Bhu’ja pressed his forehead to hers, a gesture of affection for his people. Aya couldn’t help but smile.

“Yes.”

Free, Aya was finally free.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to end the story here, okay. 
> 
> Just know that the next chapter is full of content for horny sinners...
> 
> You're welcome.


	30. Worlds Collide (Optional Smut)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a massive amount of smut in this chapter.
> 
> Anybody under 18 years of age, scram.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have much experience writing smut. I've only done it for one other story, with a couple of other things in the works. So, I'm really nervous as to what people think.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“Today’s the day I’m going to have sex!”

Aya was facing her reflection, trying to gather up courage as she made her declaration. She had done the research, Than-guan and the medics having seen to her education in the subject...Including watching a form of porn. Gods that had been mortifying. She had gone over the logistics. She had a plan. Really, she did.

Her smile faltered.

The topic of sex in general was a bit of tricky thing for her to handle. Her education back on Earth hadn’t been that great, schools and her parents telling her to abstain without telling her how or what it was in the first place. The only reason she really abstained was because, while she had felt sexual attraction towards people, there had been no desire to follow through with it. For a long time, Aya wondered if she was broken.

Then, she _was_ broken and in more ways than one. In some ways, she still was. Those cracks and scars were never going to disappear. But, she was learning that was okay. It was okay to just be _okay_.

Was this all right? Was it all right to want something more from her...What exactly was her relationship with Bhu’ja at this point? He made it clear he was interested in her, but that didn’t mean he wanted her sexually. He commented on her having mating musk, but that didn’t mean that aspect of their relationship was mutual.

And, on the off chance he was interested in that way, what if she reacted badly? What if she wanted to stop in the middle of the act or just froze? 

**_“...the male will always stop if a female commands it, even in the middle of sex. The most important thing is that it’s comfortable, and pleasurable.”_ **

Fear still made her worry. She still had problems trying to satisfy any sexual cravings because of her PTSD. It wasn’t something she could control no matter how much she wanted to. Aya recognized that.

**_“To deny fear is to deny how you feel, and everyone gets afraid sometimes. What matters is if you use it to your advantage, and face that fear so you can make the decisions that’ll help you succeed.”_ **

Gods she was an idiot. Bhu’ja wasn’t going to hurt her-

**_“….a real warrior knows how to use it right so that there’s no pain involved, not unless you want it.”_ **

Great, now Aya’s face was on fire. Who was she to talk about kinky stuff? Considering she dreamed about bondage with Bhu’ja, and on more than one occasion, she was sure there was something messed about her more than some people. Was it a psychological reaction? To tame her doubts and fears? Or was she just a massive pervert?

Neither option was really palatable.

…

..

.

Was she overthinking this all?

* * *

Aya was wincing. Bhu’ja didn’t like it when she winced.

“Are you hurt?”

If someone had tried to go after her, Bhu’ja was going to kill somebody, _again_. He didn’t need to fight anyone on her behalf anymore seeing as she was officially accepted into the clan and acknowledged as one of their own. His eyes wandered to the scar on her forehead, the one matching his. She had been marked by Bhu’ja’s grandfather, accepted into the clan. The Ancient One, or ‘Great Owl’, as Aya called him, had been present, fortifying her position further. There would always be those who doubted or were prejudiced, but Aya had more than a few people willing to fight on her behalf if she couldn’t.

“Just a sore back. Remember what the healer said about weight being distributed?”

Her lower abdomen was rounder. She wasn’t near her due date yet, but her pregnancy was truly showing now. The healers were constantly on edge that she might try to do something foolish again. She was tense, having admitted to feeling cooped up despite running and sparring every day. Her stress needed to be lowered. It would take some coaxing, but there had to be other ways for her to release pent up energy for her. He just couldn’t figure out how.

He hummed, “Do you want a massage?”

Bhu’ja was about to call off his offer when she went silent, but nearly flared his mandibles in surprise when she peeled the back of her outfit, revealing bare skin. She hadn’t liked it before when he saw her nude or when she had been partially dressed.

It was understandable now why someone so bold and daring like her had been so wary. Vulnerability like this wasn’t just something unusual for yautja, but the fact it was her showed just how brave her spirit was.

She stiffened when he placed a hand on her shoulder, grazing it with the back of her knuckles. With such a light touch, she shivered. There was no mating musk, not yet. Turning over his palm, he slowly brushed his clawed fingers over her skin. She was covered in scars, some made from burns, some from other kinds of wounds. He frowned when he came across the wounds he himself had dealt her. It felt like it had been so long ago. How much had they both changed?

“Where?” he asked hoarsely.

She swallowed audibly. “Lower.”

It was just above her pelvis, where there was a hint of rounder parts of her body. It was odd, how little he had inspected a ooman’s back before. He was used to removing their spines to make into trophies, to prove himself worthy. Now? Now he was trying to help a ooman by tending to it’s spine.

Aya was placing a great deal of trust in him.

He nodded, locating the part that made her jump. He started to pull away, sensing her discomfort, her nervousness. “Do you-?”

Her hand caught his, trembling as she pulled him back. “Please?”

Slowly, he did as she requested, carefully adding pressure. Aya began to relax under his touch. “I’m going to put both hands on you now.”

Bhu’ja said it as a statement, but it was a question, a query as to how much she was willing to tolerate. Her fists clenched as she murmured her consent. Stroking the skin, he kneaded the softer parts of her, his mind wandering to other portions he yearned to touch. 

She was firm, strong. She had always stood tall, hadn’t she? And now she was leaning back, seeking his touch as she shut her eyes. She was leaning on him. Her own claws stopped digging into her hands as she started to lean her head back, baring her neck as she let out a small groan. “Right there.”

Seeing her reaction, he rubbed a little harder. Aya bit her bottom lip, and Bhu’ja felt something grow coiling inside him. Purring, he moved upwards ever so little. Aya arched her back, her head against his chest. Her eyes were still closed.

Gently, he cupped her face with one of his palms. Her eyelids lifted halfway, her pupils dilated. They stared at each other for a moment, and he managed to say, “Better?”

Frowning, she turned, brows furrowed. Had he done something wrong?

“Do you know what a kiss is?”

That was abrupt. He was concerned she didn’t answer his question, but he didn’t push. “I’ve witnessed multiple species practice the act. Why?”

“...Can I kiss you?”

Females typically demanded forms of sexual action from him, yet he should’ve known Aya wouldn’t. Yes, she could deny a great deal and he wouldn’t mind. A large part of him knew he’d like it too. But this wasn’t about him.

Aya was willing to try something more physical with him beyond sparring or allowing him to sleep by her side. The concept of kissing was foreign to him, but since she wanted it he wasn’t going to deny her.

**_“They’re called ‘lips’, if you’re wondering.”_ **

****

**_Right, ‘lips’. He had never considered their particular functions before. “What are they made of?”_ **

****

**_“Um, I’m not an expert on anatomy, but generally the same stuff the rest of my face is made of with more nerves and maybe more muscles to help them move.”_ **

Were lips sensitive if they contained more nerves than other portions of her body? Bhu’ja found himself more eager to put the theory to the test.

Determination lit in her gaze, as did something else he couldn’t identify. She leaned upwards, placing one of her hands on the side of his face. He bent to the warmth of her touch, her pulse quickening as his did.

“Close your eyes?”

He did, the darkness opening his other senses. Something unidentifiable fell soft on his cheek, then his forehead. Even if he didn’t know the softness, he knew the firmness of her forehead on his. Softness lightly pressed against his tusks. Parting them, he heard her heartbeat before he felt it against him through the hand on his chest, and through her lips on his inner mouth.

It was strange, unfamiliar, but not unpleasant. Moving on instinct he didn’t know he had, his hands moved. His fingers ran up her sides, her back, her scalp. One hand slid to cradle her lower back, the skin of her back still bare, the other tentatively running through her hair. His touches were light, prepared to pull back at any sign that she didn’t want his hands on her.

Bhu’ja knew he shouldn’t be taking this much initiative. The females were the ones who approached the males. The females were the ones who made demands or offers. But, she had wanted him to touch her before in this manner. She might revoke that decision, but, greedy, he wanted to see if she would accept him. He wanted to know more about what she felt like.

He breathed her in, her scent shifting to show her desire. She melted, her mouth on his achingly slow. For a moment, she parted. He groaned at the loss of her heat, the taste of her.

Her mouth fell against his again. She was soft but firm and warm. It was raw and tender all at once. Everything tingled, and he had the urge to lean into her. Aya’s skin was calloused and worn by battle and scars, the texture unforgettable. They pulled apart for air, breaths ragged, only for him to claim her. The taste of her was addictive, and he wanted more of it. The smell of her consumed him, longing and yearning filling him. Electricity and anticipation danced across his skin. Her nails lightly scraped the back of his head, her moan sonorous, and a melody he couldn’t get enough of. What other sounds was she capable of?

His eyes nearly flew open as she crawled into his lap. He could feel the rush of her blood, hear her breath, and he tasted her again. This time, she opened her mouth to taste him too, his hunger growing as he met her tongue with his own, entangling. He ached, her mouth moving in a similar manner that was torture. The act was reminiscent of mating, a tease that threatened to consume him.

Aya gasped his name, testing him. The urge to learn her flesh, her skin, her scars, this new intimacy was burning him, consuming his senses. Her scent was stealing his air. He had to control himself, maintain what sanity he had left. Shifting his hands carefully, he tugged her closer so that her legs wrapped around his torso. The maneuver backfired on him. While her musk lessened, her pulse was much more evident as her thighs enclosed around him. Every intimate part of her was pressed against him. He could _feel_ her and her desire.

She was glorious.

* * *

Aya’s imagination had nothing on _this_.

Aya should’ve been scared or nervous or anything she had fretted about earlier, but she wasn't. She couldn’t bring herself to worry or be afraid. She was lightheaded, dizzy, and it was as if she were drowning in the most wonderful way possible.

They pulled apart once more, both opening their eyes. She squeaked when she saw the way he looked at her, when she realized what she did. She really had just meant to kiss him. No making out, no tongue, no...Oh gods was this foreplay? It had all just felt so good and he felt good and she was feeling great and-

It was terrifying. She was terrified. But what was she terrified of? Feeling good? Bhu’ja tilted her chin upwards, purring and causing her to shiver. What she was shivering from, she didn’t know. However, some of her anxiety was assuage as she melted into him.

“I like this ‘kissing’,” he said with confidence that she wasn’t sure she had.

The words were enough to make her smile though, and to make her laugh under her breath. “I-I did too.”

Why’d she have to stutter? “We can stop if you want to.”

Bhu’j was so reassuring. A tiny voice inside her said she should before this got out of hand. She _should_ follow her plan on how to seduce him. She should take her time. But with their position? The way her nerves were blazing and the roughness of his skin against hers? She didn’t want to stop.

Feeling more daring than expected, she reached up, her nails lightly grazing one of those dark tendrils, the ones she had learned were sensitive. He stilled as she tugged gently, pressing her lips against one.

“I don’t want to stop.”

There was a pause, and he smirked. With a wicked grin, he dipped his head downward, brushing his teeth against the column of her neck. Aya gasped, her bottom lip quivering as he traced the sensitive skin with that wonderful mouth of his. As she swallowed, he dragged his bottom lip upward, pressing kisses across every marking left behind.

Her fingers slid between his shoulders to steady herself. A tremor flowed through both of them as they became more aware of what they were doing.

She had to lessen the ache. She was going to die if she didn’t. Her body moved on its own, as she rolled against him. Aya nearly had a heart attack, especially when his hold on her tightened. Before she could apologize, he groaned, his purr deepening. Her breath hitched. Seeing her reaction, his rumble grew. Her thighs tightened around him as she keened.

“ _Please_ , Bhu’ja,” she whimpered. “ _More_.”

With a throated growl he lifted her, never stopping as he carried her over to their bed. He moved to lay her down at first, stopping himself as he sat down, still supporting her on him. He probably remembered the soreness of her back, how it could hurt if she lay down on it. He was so much, so impossible at times she wondered if any of her life was real.

Those doubts were disappearing with every stroke of his rough skin against her. He began peeling back the cloth covering her shoulders, her front. With every bit of her revealed, he grazed her skin with his mouth, each one leaving something new igniting with every touch.

As he undressed her, she did the same for him. Bhu’ja nuzzled the column of her neck and exposed her collarbone, nipping lightly. It was becoming hard to breathe, She bucked against him, the friction between them tantalizing. Her knees felt weak even though she wasn’t standing. This was _real_ . _He_ was real. This was actually happening.

Her clothes pooled around her waist, her upper body completely nude. He was also partially nude. His mandibles stroked downwards, a tongue scraping against her. She groaned, making a small noise when his tongue found her breasts. Sucking and swirling his tongue as his tusks cradled her, she arched into him as his thumb, his claws leaving marks. Her nails were doing the same to him, streaks in their wake.

Aya’s breasts were more sensitive than they would normally have been, her chest rapidly rising and falling as she panted, gasping his name.

She was starting to sweat, her skin glistening under the lights in their room. Bhu’ja’s hands fell over the bundle of clothes wrapped around her waist, pausing as he released her, searching her eyes. 

Her mind would’ve been lecturing her normally, telling her she _shouldn’t_ do this. That she _couldn’t_. She felt like she should care that he could see all of her scars, both those she earned in battles and during the times her body had been preparing itself for her baby. Aya knew she must’ve looked like a mess, and probably smelled because of all the changes happening to her body, but Bhu’ja said nothing.

But for all the worries she should’ve had, all her fears, all her plans? They rarely mattered when it came to Bhu’ja.

Aya met his gaze, and placed her hands over his, helping him slowly remove her clothes. His claws started to tear one of the items, but he was trying to restrain himself a great deal. Honestly, she doubted he was concerned too much about her bra considering he could always make another. He just...He didn’t want to hurt her.

His people were fixated on the idea that the female chooses, not always that the male did. What if he was doing this because he felt like he had to? Were they going too fast? Was she pushing him into something he wasn’t ready for?

She stilled, the doubts permeating her thoughts once more against her will.

“Aya?”

Inhaling, she cupped his cheek. “Do you want this? Do you want me? If you don’t this, we don’t have to-”

He purred, an automatic response to try to calm her nowadays whenever she showed signs of stress. It didn’t always work, but the times that it did made her feel safer. 

“If you desire to stop, we will.” He understood her expression when he didn’t answer her question directly. Slowly, he took her other hand in his, and lowered it to his barely covered groin. She could’ve pulled away, he had made sure she knew where she was placing her hand, but she didn’t even flinch. Her curiosity grew, andIf anything, Bhu’ja was the one who was nervous. “I desire you, but we can still stop.”

At first, her mind panicked a little at the idea of touching someone’s more intimate areas, but then it sombered into something else. After a moment, she curled her fingers around him, cupping him and causing him to wheeze. Through the cloth, she began to stroke him, her other fingers lightly scratching the tendrils on his head.

Bhu’ja sounded like he was dying. Was that a good thing or a bad thing in this case? She stopped, “Am I doing this right?”

He chuckled darkly, “This was supposed to be about you.”

She frowned, pulling back and folding her arms. Aya arched a brow when she saw him _pout_ . “It’s supposed to be about _us_ , Bhu’ja. I care about you, and I don’t want to use you. If that’s what you think is happening, then I can go.”

“No-!” Bhu’ja _yelped_ . Oh gods, he _yelped_. Clearing his throat, he said, “That, that was not my intent. I, I made plans to properly court you and I was going to-”

He made plans. She made plans. With a small, albeit awkward smile, she said, “Plans never seem to work out for us, do they?” Bhu’ja made a small, distressed noise, clearly as lost as she was. Furrowing her brows, she added, “All my life things were planned, and I spent so much time planning that I forgot to _live_.”

Aya’s youth had been planned for her. Her goals dictated by others, whether it was her parents, her teachers, everyone she should’ve been able to trust. She even had to plan her life for the sake of someone else. Perhaps it was going to make her a sinner, but just this once, she just wanted to do something for herself without being afraid or criticized.

Yet what she wanted most…

“And I think you feel the same way. Your whole life you’ve had to be a hunter, had to prove yourself to satisfy others. But, you don’t need to prove anything to me. You don’t need to plan. I’m yours, if you’ll have me.”

**_“...I want to stay by your side, if you’ll let me.”_ **

Bhu’ja clasped her back, pulling her closer as he tangled his tusks into her hair, shivers running up and down her spine as he purred. Then he lifted her chin, tugging her into a kiss. 

Now? Things weren’t moving too fast, they weren’t fast enough. She nuzzled his neck before biting down, knowing exactly what it meant. He hissed, picking her up, her back to the wall as she crossed her legs behind his back. 

He searched her eyes again, making sure that this was all right.

It was one of many positions those who were pregnant could use. She nodded in agreement to the idea. Pressing his forehead to hers, his mandibles nipped at her ear, his claws rubbing circles around her nipples. His mouth claimed her tongue, pulsing in and out. She reached up, curling her nails around one of his tendrils, arching her body against his.

They clawed at each other, wild fervor taking over as nails and teeth dug into heated flesh. The hard need of him pressed against her, alarming her at first until his deep purr caused her heartbeat to throb in sync with other, more heated, parts of her. He groaned as they both sensed her growing arousal once more. His teeth ran down her neck, to her collarbone, her breasts...Her lower abdomen…

Bhu’ja lifted Aya higher so that her legs draped over his shoulders. His fingers kneaded her hips just as they had her back, soothing her even as she stopped breathing for a moment. Her eyes widened in disbelief, realizing what he was going to do. His eyes were dark as he looked up at her, spreading her legs wider. The lower pair of his mandibles traced her lower lips, leaving patterns that nearly sent her into a frenzy.

Stuck between his mouth and the wall at her back, Aya tried to find anything to grab onto as he devoured her. Her thighs tightened as did the rest of the muscles in her body as Bhu’ja spread her folds, his hot breath caressing her. His tongue slid against her, stoking the flames. Finding his tendril, she held on tightly, unable to stop her moans.

He gently scraped her mound while enclosing his mouth on the bundle of nerves at her center. Taking the tendril in her hand, she lifted it to her mouth, grazing her teeth on it, laving at it. He made a choked noise, his tongue roaming and burying into her faster, hungrily. His grip tightened as he steadied her, angling her so that he reached a spot that nearly made her see white. Desperate, Aya began to mimic what Bhu’ja did to her his tendril as his tongue flicked and twirled. He moved faster and faster, her walls fluttering around him.

Her heat changed, moisture starting to seep out of her, intensifying everything. Aya cried out when Bhu’ja’s mouth enclosed around her, drinking her as though he had been dying of thirst. He was absolutely ravenous as he swallowed any wetness that seeped out of her.

Aya’s breasts, nipples felt heavy as her chest rose and fell. She had the urge to hold them, for something to lessen the overwhelming sensations. All Aya could do was gasp Bhu’ja’s name over and over, losing her mind. She was breathless. Her body was boneless, tired but still blazing. She was gasping for air, her breathing erratic. As if Bhu’ja read her mind, he lifted one of his hands, and placed one of her hands there. It was a silent command, egging her on to chase after something unknown. Tentatively, she grasped them, unable to contain noises that make him delve into her further. His mouth picked up speed, only to stop.

Aya whimpered, crying out when he began once more, bringing her to the brink only to stop again. The cycle repeated over and over, driving her mad. A finger joined in with his mouth, the digits pumping in and out slowly, then quickly. Then there were two, each one moving at different paces, exploring what made her yell out the most. 

She nearly yelped when he rumbled. His tongue pulsed and vibrated, moving in and out and circling and-

Aya screamed his name, undulating against him. She was flying. She was flying so high. She burned hotter than any star, her blood on fire. 

He continued lapping at her, thrusting and curling through the aftershocks. Over and over again, she flew, unraveling and wailing in pleasure. Sweat streamed in rivers from her, her throat raw from crying out. The scent of sex filled the room, steam heating up the room.

Aya didn’t know how long it had been when he pulled away. How many times had she nearly passed out from being overwhelmed so much? From being pushed past the edge of oblivion?

It was all so _incredible_.

Her groan echoed in the room as he nuzzled her, her body shuddering as she tried to figure out how to think once more.

He uttered, “A'ket'anu.”

Beautiful. He called her _beautiful_.

“Bhu’ja, _please_ ,” she whined.

Aya didn’t even know what she was asking for. A part of her didn’t care. Aya _needed_ him. He hummed, carefully lowering her as he stood. Once again wrapped around him, she yelped as his member brushed against her mound. He narrowed his eyes in concentration, his tip pressed into her bud, spasms traveling throughout her limbs. Bhu’jas shaft dragged through her wetness, teasing her.

“Permission to claim you?” he whispered against her ear.

Aya nearly screamed in frustration. She was so _close_. She shouted, “Yes!”

Bhu’ja kissed her as he glided into her, filling her to the brim. It was strange, a bit uncomfortable since it was unfamiliar. Yet, she gasped as her body squeezed around him. He grunted, one hand against the wall, metal screeching under his claws.

“ _Tight,_ ” he hissed, gritting his teeth, his mandibles flared inward. “Are you all right?”

Her forehead rested against his as she rolled her hips. She whimpered, “Don’t stop.”

Bhu’ja swallowed, pulling out and then plunging back in little by little. Aya squeaked, the sound turning into something that stirred him on. Her arousal soaked his, easing any discomfort. In fact, something was starting to tauten inside of her. It felt _good_. Lowering his mouth, his tongue bathed every inch of her skin within his reach.

Aya almost weeped when he stilled. Gently but firmly, he let go over her breasts, lifting her thighs at an angle. Her knees were nearly in line with her hips, the former wrapped over his elbows much to her confusion. He drew back, and inhumanely possible he vigorously pumped into her. His length was textured, and as he purred, vibrating once more. Tension coiled below her belly almost painfully.

They were both covered in perspiration, the sounds of their hips slapping almost as loud as their cries and moans. The rhythm they made began to fall apart as he rutted into her with increased speed. 

Release, Aya needed a _release_.

“Bhu’ja,” she keened.

Her nails were leaving wounds on his arms, and she knew that she’d have bruises, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. He rasped her name, his face at the juncture of her neck. A palm reached down, rubbing at her bundle of nerves as he pounded into her relentlessly.

Bhu’ja could sense when Aya’s orgasm was closing in on her. He was close too. She trembled, her voice growing higher and higher in pitch. Her head reared back, her throat exposed once more. She clenched around him, melting in his arms and heels digging into his arms. Aya was floating, not just flying. It was as if her body no longer existed. Her mind dissipated into rapturous, beautiful nothingness. 

Bhu’ja’s discordant thrusts deepened, his animalistic grunting turning into a roar. Warmth filled her, the place where their bodies connected swollen and dripping. Aya didn’t feel any pain when his tusks were buried into her shoulder, drawing blood. She was in too much bliss, pure pleasure engulfing her. Bhu’ja remained inside of her, slowly stoking the embers that still burned in her veins.The room reeked of their combined musks. Both were panting, neither able to speak.

The yautja tensed, slowly lifting his head and grimacing as his thumb traced her wound. Lowering her legs into a more comfortable position, he worriedly said Aya’s name.

“I had no idea,” she gasped, her eyes watering. “I had no idea I could feel like that. That this could feel so...It was amazing.”

Aya wanted to blame her tears on the hormones. Truth was, she wasn’t sure why she was crying. She knew it wasn’t the growing ache on her shoulder. That had been fantastic even if it was unexpected. A part of her wondered if it was because of her past and what had been done to her, but she didn’t feel pain of any kind. Instead, all she felt was happy. She was _happy_. Hell, she was positively euphoric.

Giggling, she reached up, kissing him once more. He angled his mouth to her in a manner that was tender, gentle. 

“Thank you, Bhu’ja. I’m so _happy_ right now. I didn’t know I could feel like this. _Thank you_.”

Aya pressed her lips all over his face until he met her mouth once more, deepening a kiss. Extracting himself, he carried her over to their bathroom, getting out medical supplies to tend to her shoulder. 

Inside, he carefully helped clean her. Aya couldn’t help but shiver when it came to more sensitive areas, but Bhu’ja didn’t push for anything. Instead, they just talked. An odd feeling of peace washed over Aya even when the sting of the medication was smeared over her broken skin.

“...Yautja mark their mates, did you know that?” Bhu’ja asked. Aya nodded, having learned a great deal about the aspect from her female tutors. “If I assumed anything-”

Recalling the scars that other humans mated to yautja had, she touched her newest scar fondly, still smiling. “I want this. I want you.”

He purred against her shoulder. “Good.”

Aya was sore, but in spite of that her cravings were getting the better of her. Whether it was a pregnancy thing, or just her being horny for Bhu’ja, who the heck cared?

“Bhu’ja, would you mind if we try another human thing?”

“I liked the last one, I have no quarrel with trying another,” he said, his voice several octaves lower in a deep guttural growl.

She smirked, “Ever heard of ‘cowgirl’ style?”

* * *

Aya moaned as Bhu’ja’s hands helped steady her on his hips, rocking her own still something new. His eyes were closed, mandibles flared as he groaned. Her own hands were braced on his stomach, his girth filling her while she ground herself into him. Her nub slid across his flesh as she rode him. Sweat streamed from her body almost as much as he did.

A mark matching Aya’s was on his shoulder. It was smaller, made with blunt teeth, but it was prominent. They had claimed each other.

He moved with her, arching so that his length pressed against the spot inside her that made her cry out. Their combined voices were a chorus that he didn’t want to share with the world. Her expressions? He couldn’t get enough of them. Her taste? Bhu’ja wondered if that was what paradise was like.

“I think I like ‘cowgirl’ style,” he breathed, his head swimming. “Are you sure you aren’t sore? Exhausted?”

Bhu’ja had caught her wincing at first. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her more than he already had. Yet, with every sway of her hips, and her gaze darkened, filled with lust, his worries started to fade away. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to make it easier for her. Reaching where their bodies were interlocked, Bhu’ja rubbed that sensitive bud that drove her wild. Aya hissed, her pace quickening and clenching around him in retaliation.

“A bit sore, but exhausted? Far from it.”

He was going to be more careful about their ‘activities’ from now on considering Aya’s physical state, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be intimate. In fact, he had a feeling they might need multiple showers after this. Bhu’ja thrust into Aya more vigorously, driving them both into a climax.

Bhu'ja _really_ liked 'cowgirl style'.

...

..

.

After cleaning up, the two lay down together. Both were tired, but content. Aya was in Bhu'ja's arms as she slept. His hand lay over her lower abdomen, where occasionally he would feel the little one kick. They were strong, just like their mother.

This was far from an ending. There was still so much to do. There was still so much to say.

For now? Everything was better than he could've ever dreamed of.

Their story was just beginning, and Bhu’ja couldn’t wait to know what happened next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is an unplanned epilogue with a baby in it!
> 
> Please, leave any requests in the comments for the sequel in progress. It can include baby adventures, smut, etc.
> 
> Thank you!


	31. Happy Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's somebody's birthday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a fairly graphic birth scene in this chapter, so reader discretion is advised.

“Okay, on the count of three, everybody names the Hogwarts House they’re in.”

Sometimes being around other humans was a literal breath of fresh air. Other times, it was nerve-wracking because of how overwhelming interactions could be. It was still hard to let people in, but Aya was trying to do her best. She was also exploring her traits, something she hadn’t tried to do in a long time.

Lex counted with her fingers.

“Proud Hufflepuff,” Hoshi said.

It was unexpected since Hoshi was a doctor, and clever beyond measure. However, maybe it was _because_ she was a doctor, patient, and above all else, loyal. She was also patient with the sick or injured, her moral code between right and wrong was strong. It was little wonder how her mate saw her as worthy.

Lex grinned, “Ravenclaw.”

That wasn’t a surprise. Lex, as brave and caring as she was, she was clever and her curiosity allowed her to explore the unknown. It allowed her to work with her mate in the heat of the hunt. She was also wise,and intuitive. She was adaptable, her wit astonishing, and her experiences allowed her to expect the unexpected. Her caution was built by years of knowledge and understanding elements few understood. Plus, she was good at explaining her decisions in a way no one else could.

“Gryffindor.”

Kai’s House made a lot of sense. It took guts to constantly flirt with a yautja, especially when you first meet them. Kai was daring, arguably reckless, and he was chivalrous. He had fought for others. He was a leader. He was innovated and experimented and tested his limits even though he knew he could fail in his tasks. He was incredibly competitive. It took a lot to come from the brink of death. He was a survivor, a warrior, and stronger than he knew.

“Slytherin.”

The first time Aya learned she belonged to that House thanks to a series of online tests and questionnaires, she admittedly had mixed feelings. Slytherin didn’t exactly have the best reputation. But being a Slytherin wasn’t a bad thing. It took a while to figure that out, or even to accept her own qualities until Bhu’ja had mentioned some of them.She was resourceful, determined, ambitious, and tended to defy unrealistic expectations. She constantly attempted to make the impossible possible.

Each human there belonged to one of the four Houses. Sure, a lot of qualities tended to overlap, but it was their strongest qualities that made them who they were. 

The present conversation made Aya wonder what House her mate belonged to. Mate. Gods that sounded so fucking weird. Not as weird as suckling, but still weird. But it also felt _right_.

Bhu’ja, her _mate_ , was patient, loyal, and honorable. He was also kind, generous, and creative...Was he a Hufflepuff? The idea seemed ridiculous somehow. But people tended to underestimate that House.

...Actually, now that she processed the characteristics of the yautja she knew, the majority of them might be Hufflepuffs. That was freaky considering their culture was largely about hunting and sex.

“You okay? You’ve been awfully quiet, Aya,” Lex said.

Aya snorted, “Just getting lost in thought.”

There was no way she was going to share what was on her mind at the moment. It might be a little much.

Her mind shifted as her lower back ached once more. It was uncomfortable, and a little sore. Would Bhu’ja mind giving her massage later without having sex? They’d been more careful about intimacy to the point of not having it the closer she got to her due date. Aya even stopped sparring, not thinking that the other female yautja would purposely hurt her, but it wasn’t a risk she wanted to take. It didn’t stop Bhu’ja from being a little overprotective though.

“I’ll bet,” Kai chuckled. “I guess we all have marks now.” Even Hoshi showed the mating scar she had on her shoulder, shy as she was. Aya began stuttering until Kai added, “Does he make you happy?”

The burning in Aya’s cheeks lessened, and she couldn’t contain her smile. “In more ways than I could ever imagine.”

“Good. I still want baby pictures by the way.”

Theoretically they might have less than a week, maybe less. Bhu’ja had been anxious since she could give birth at any moment, which was why he stayed close by. Hell, a number of yautja from the clan seemed to make up excuses to be in any area she was in. Some were curious about human interactions as per usual, but most were interested in seeing a human baby. Sure, they saw them sometimes, but never really had the opportunity to _meet_ one.

Even Great Owl and his mate were sticking around. The experience apparently being something that happened once in a lifetime, and yautja lives lasted a long time, literally thousands of years.

Fuck, Skemte, despite his disgust for humans, had asked if he could meet the little one. Maybe not hold them or interact, just to satisfy his curiosity. At least he was somewhat honorable, and just to ease her concerns, he swore not to harm them or her.

Hoshi was going to be allowed on the clan ship due to her knowledge despite having informed the clan’s healers on the process and what to do. Everybody was cautious, including those who were more prejudiced against humans. Aya had soon found herself surrounded by very protective yautja, ones who seemingly cared about what was going to happen.

“How are you feeling? Any contractions?”

“No, just a restless baby who likes kicking me,” Aya deadpanned.

Bhu’ja had joked that the kid inherited Aya’s legs. Ugh.

Lex chuckled, “I remember that.”

Right, Lex had given birth before, to half yautja offspring. Aya wondered if Bhu’ja wanted children. He had eighty-seven already, and it was hard to read his children’s reactions when she met them. Some appeared more thrilled than others. She hoped they would accept her baby as another sibling, or at least tolerate her child.

Soon Aya had to part from her human companions, save for Hoshi. Hoshi’s mate was also joining them, worried about her mate’s safety. The female yautja, Yaquita, was almost as tall as Than-guan, and didn’t talk much. Aya didn’t mind though.

She had also met Scar, Lex’s mate. He was a bit on the young side, but pretty clever and had a dark sense of humor. Then there was Skull, aptly named by Kai for his mate’s favorite kind of trophies. Aya had seen it. The male was obsessed with decapitating his prey. Countless skulls had decorated walls and furniture. She often wondered how Kai felt about that.

All of them said their farewells, Hoshi greeting her mate outside, as did Aya for her own. Aya could tell multiple yautja from their clan were watching her, and she was half-tempted to grab her daggers. It was an instinct that was hard to deny. Bhu’ja clicked softly, “Don’t kill them. They swore to guard you.”

Glancing back subtly, she saw both Yeyinde and Mahnde. Apparently, and much to her irritation, the young blood was honor-bound to protect her. He still had the scar from when she slashed him. Aya felt a little guilty about that, but not by much.

Once aboard the ship, Bhu’a swept Aya’s legs out from under her, one hand under her knees, the other at her back. Why? Just, why? He saw her expression and nuzzled her neck where his marking was. Oh come on, that was _cheating_. She needed to stay mad, damn it. Why could she never stay mad at him?

“Aren’t you tired?”

Okay, yeah, she was. “Just a bit. Are we staying here on the planet by the way?”

“Yes, we might need more supplies in case of an emergency.”

Aya didn’t know how to feel about all these people going to such lengths. On one hand, she was grateful. On the other, she still wasn’t used to depending on people. There was also the fact that this stalled the others’ plans for multiple events.

Great Owl appeared with his mate and another member of the Council. She inclined her head, as did Bhu’ja, as a sign of respect. “Aya. How are you?”

Why did people keep asking her that? “Tired, bloated, and cranky.”

She also had a headache, and soreness down below. She’d also been more thirsty as of late, her hunger lessening. She also felt gassy, making her wonder what in her diet was causing it. Aya ate lighter meals since she still had to eat for two, even if she had been getting more and more nauseous. Maybe that was why she’d been feeling so irritated.That, or hormones were affecting her, again.

Great Owl’s mate hummed in agreement, “I wonder if that’s a universal aspect of being pregnant.” It probably was. Both ancient ones along with Great Owl’s mate raised their hands. “May we?”

Everyone wanted to touch her enlarged belly nowadays. It was kind of frustrating since she typically didn’t like being touched, but she tried to tolerate it. She knew she could refuse the action at any time, but for some reason she couldn’t decipher, she didn’t want to. It just felt kind of soothing, which only confused her more.

Aya nodded, tensing a little as clawed hands carefully rubbed her abdomen. There was a rough kick, causing her to wince. “She’s strong.” 

“Have you decided on a name? I know oomans typically do that.”

“...We have a few names in mind, but we aren’t going to name the baby immediately. We’re going to follow the yautja tradition and wait to see what they’re like. But we’re also going to give them a name from Earth, and one in Yautja. They’re going to be part of both worlds.”

Aya wondered if she should use more gender neutral pronouns. What if the baby turned out to be a gender. than their sex at birth? What if they were non-binary or transgender or just genderqueer in general? She wanted to be a supportive mother, with whatever her baby felt comfortable being. 

Was she going to be a good mother? Would her baby survive this place? Would her little one be happy and safe here? She had done so many things and gone through so much to try to build a life not just for herself but her child as well. 

Above all else, the primary question Aya’s mind was, would everything she did be enough?

* * *

  
  


It was the middle of the night when it happened.

Bhu’ja and Aya had been asleep with her in his arms when Aya inhaled sharply. There had been a dull ache in her lower back for a while, throbbing, but she had thought it was her normal back pain. Now? There was a pressure in her lower abdomen, and her pelvis felt heavier than expected.

It felt like there were waves moving down below. It was reminiscent of having a painful period, and having a cramp in her side from working out too much. 

Then, it felt like something _popped_. Wetness trickled down her leg...Fuck, her water had broken.

She hadn’t meant to harm him, only wake him, but Aya’s nails dug into Bhu’ja’s arm. Neon green got under her fingernails. He awoke immediately, eyes widening as she whimpered his name. This time, she didn’t mind when he picked her up, the breeze almost stinging her face as he ran. His heartbeat was pounding as was hers. The aching was getting worse, and she shivered from the growing intensity.

One word was repeating in her mind nonsensically.

_Ow, ow, OW!_

Inside the medical room, Bhu’ja’s eyes met one of the physician’s, the healer barking at his assistant to fetch Hoshi. Aya felt herself beginning to sweat. It was as if something or someone was stabbing her in some areas of her lower abdomen. Tears began to pour from her eyes.

She was scared, and in pain, and everything was becoming too much. It was overwhelming. It was hard to think, to process anything around her.

Please, somebody _help_.

* * *

Bhu’ja held Aya’s hand, her grip nearly breaking his fingers, something a ooman _shouldn’t_ be able to do. She was panting, groaning in pain. Her skin was paling with every second. And Bhu’ja? Throughout his life, killing oomans had become easy. Saving one’s life, especially from something so natural and innate? It was nearly impossible to fathom. He felt useless. He was helpless.

He squeezed back, trying to give her some comfort. Everyone including him began to purr in the attempt to ease her distress.

Aya’s new ally, another ooman called Hoshi ran inside with her mate close behind. This ooman was a physician, one with experience aiding female oomans in the birthing process. At that moment, all the yautja in the room turned to her for guidance. Following a ooman’s orders? It was difficult to accept.

“Did her water break?”

“Yes,” Bhu’ja said, trying to sound calm even though terror filled his veins.

Hoshi nodded, asking Aya how far apart each contraction was. She was surprised when Aya grunted out the answer, even if it took longer for her to answer than Bhu’ja liked. “Get her into the cleansing room, _now_.”

Aya and Bhu’ja had discussed multiple routes to go with Hoshi when the time came. Aya had been reluctant to the idea, but it was her decision to go with a ‘water birth’. It was an unexpected method to the yautja, but after examining the benefits,it was likely the safest option for the child-bearer. 

Bhu’ja carried her, the healers close behind as Hoshi filled one of the few tubs in the medical rooms. All of it had been sterilized. “By the number of contractions and symptoms, she’s in her second stage of labor. Normally the first stage lasts hours or even days for mothers’ first times giving birth. It’s not abnormal for women to barely feel contractions at that stage though, which might be why she didn’t notice.”

“How long is the second stage?” one of the physicians inquired.

“Typically two to three and a half hours. But it varies from female to female. Aya?” Aya’s eyes were closed, and she was panting, shuddering against Bhu’ja. “Aya, I need you to look at me.” Aya’s gaze was filled with tears, her breathing became heavy. Hoshi’s voice was calm, neutral. “You need to tell me what’s going on so I can help you. What are you feeling?”

Aya grimaced, her voice coming out as a croak. “It hurts, and my legs are really heavy.”

Hoshi ordered one of the other physicians to get the tool that measured her blood pressure. Another one of them said that the cleansing area was ready. Bhu’ja tensed when footsteps sounded near the door. It was Than-guan and Guan-twei, both clearly anxious to see Aya’s state of being. Hoshi scowled, “You two. Collect clean rags and place them in cool water.”

The siblings rushed off. Hoshi directed Bhu’ja to remove Aya’s clothes and lower her into the warm water. It felt the same temperature as Aya was, maybe slightly warmer. Aya moaned then, her body starting to relax. She was still hurting, but it was clear the ache was lessening.

“T-Tired,” Aya stuttered, still clinging to Bhu’ja. 

He looked at Hoshi, and she nodded. Bhu’ja slipped between Aya and the wall of the tub, his fingers rubbing into her back in circles. Than-guan and Guan-twei entered, carrying containers with cool cloths. Hoshi took one and lay it on Aya’s forehead.

Aya’s legs were shaking, and her sweat was increasing. Her throat’s muscles were tightening, and he could feel her gritting her teeth. Bhu’ja held her hand, uttering her name softly. “I’m here. Aya, I’m here. I have you.”

Hoshi knelt close, holding Aya’s face so she couldn’t turn away. “Aya, you need to breathe. Breathe with me, or with Bhu’ja. Now, I’m going to see how much you’re dilated. It’s going to be uncomfortable, but I need you to be patient with me.”

The other female ooman in the room was one of few who knew Aya’s past, and of the night terrors she still battled with. Yes, he and Aya had been intimate, but it didn't get rid of the scars in her mind. Bhu’ja had the urge to growl, to keep the physician at bay just to protect his mate, but he restrained himself, barely.

Aya managed to nod, her breath rasping for air. Hoshi furrowed her eyebrows after testing how far along Aya was, “She’s going into transitional labor, between the second and third stage. We might have fifteen minutes to an hour.” 

She muttered something about Aya not noticing earlier symptoms and everything going too fast. Hoshi told the yautja to get the painkillers she had specialized for this moment. Apparently such things weren’t generally recommended during a water birth, but if Aya was in this much pain, even in the water...

Support, he needed to support her in more ways than one. All of them moved quickly. Bhu’ja placed another cloth on Aya’s forehead. Her hand was still tight in his.

Was there something wrong? Did birth for oomans normally hurt this much? Gods, was she dying? Bhu’ja began to silently pray that if anyone could hear him, that they would spare her. Since meeting her, he couldn’t imagine her not being in his life for the longest time, and he didn’t want to try.

His mind betrayed him though, and he could hear the sounds of mourning, people calling her honorable for dying in her battle to birth the pup, as was traditional if any child-bearer died during the process. Aya would be buried and if the pup lived he would have to raise them without her and...

Bhu’ja began purring, trying to lessen her stress even though he struggled with his own. Hoshi injected Aya with the medicine, Aya’s breathing easing quickly. 

“Aya, how are you feeling?”

“Like somebody’s been hitting my lower back with a giant freakin’ hammer!” Aya grumbled.

Hoshi wasn’t outwardly bothered by the comment. She tried not to show much emotion at all. Bhu’ja wondered how often Hoshi had heard things like that before. “Is the medicine helping?”

“A little,” Aya wheezed.

“Aya, breathe deeply with me,” Hoshi instructed.

Bhu’ja mimicked the action letting the others purr in his stead. He kept a hand over Aya's sternum, feeling her heartbeat both for her benefit, and for his.

For nearly an hour Hoshi and Bhu’ja continued talking to Aya until she couldn’t respond anymore. Bhu’ja tried not to panic, knowing it wouldn’t help Aya at all. Aya grunted after Hoshi checked how dilated Aya was once more, the healer nodding. 

“She’s close. Now, the baby is going to come out quickly. I’ll catch them. Just support Aya a little while longer.” 

Aya’s voice grew louder as she groaned out in pain. Bhu’ja nuzzled her neck, just over her mating mark. His mate hissed before yelping, her eyes shut all the while and brows drawn tight. He purred louder, trying to massage her again. 

“She’s crowning.”

Then, Aya began yelling out, crying. No, she wasn’t screaming, but it didn’t settle his nerves at all. There was a sudden warmth, the water growing dark before coming clear once more. Bhu’ja’s lungs froze, his heart nearly stopping.

Please be all right. _Please be all right._

Aya panted, her head leaning back against Bhu’ja’s chest. Hoshi had her arms in the water, something impossibly tiny in her hands as she lifted it out. There was a strange, almost wax-like substance covering them. Almost as soon as the small figure breached the surface, a cry echoed in the room, piecing his hearing.

**_"If that's what your infants sound like, I have gravely miscalculated the potential harm your species can do to our sense of hearing."_ **

Bhu’ja would’ve chuckled at the memory if he wasn’t so mesmerized by the sight in front of him. After a brief examination, Hoshi partially wrapped the pup in a blanket before laying them on Aya’s chest. The little one almost instantly quieted. 

Hoshi was grinning as she joked, “Well, at least we know her lungs work.”

The pup hadn’t even opened her eyes yet, making small noises that Bhu’ja didn’t understand. A cord was attached to the little one still. “That’s the umbilical cord. We’re going to leave it on for about five minutes before I clamp off part of it. It’ll help her health.”

Bhu’ja didn’t have experience with this, so he would trust the physician. And, for the first time in nearly an hour, Aya spoke, her voice soft and crackling. “Hello, little one.”

The infant made another noise, and opened her eyes. There was no fear in their gaze. Instead, there was a fiery curiosity in them, just her mother's. Bhu’ja tentatively reached forward, careful with his claws as he touched their head, slowly petting them. The skin was so soft, the softest thing he had ever felt. They were so _fragile_.

“...Hello,” he whispered.

There was a bubbling noise, a small greeting directed towards him. Aya placed her finger near them, tiny fingers wrapping around just one of hers. Aya was still wincing, shaking a little, but she was smiling as well. He purred against her, the tenseness of her muscles relaxing against his warmth.

Exhausted, Aya fell asleep against him, with him supporting her arms so she could hold the little one.

* * *

Hoshi had inspected both the pup and Aya for a couple days, checking on their health and performing a few tests to ensure both would recover.

After that, the two only allowed immediate close ones to visit their quarters, namely the Guan sisters, Kata’nu, and Bakuub. The group had to take decontamination showers before entering though, understanding that the infant’s immune system wasn’t ready to handle too much of anything new, especially anything not from the planet Aya had originated from . It would be easy for the infant to get sick, which wasn’t something Aya nor Bhu’ja wanted to take a chance with.

Kata’nu gaped as a small finger tried to grab his own digits, not even wrapping halfway around a single one. “By the gods...How are any oomans alive if they are born like _this_ ? She’s so, so _tiny_.”

The pup whined when the young blood tried to pull away. The yautja in question stilled, a war going on in his mind. Bakuub gently untangled the infant and the young blood, his experience with half-yautja making it easier. “Careful, they tend to stick things in their mouths.”

“Have _you_ ever dealt with a full-blooded ooman pup?” Than-guan asked.

“Well, no, but-”

Aya rolled her eyes, shushing them, “You’re stressing the baby out.”

Guan-twei stared, utterly unsure how to react. “Do, do all oomans start at that size?”

“Some are slightly bigger or smaller,” Aya murmured, grinning when she saw the pup yawn. Her words turned into a whisper. “And most of the time at this age, human babies need to eat and sleep often. They have a lot of growing to do.”

Aya yawned just like the pup had. It was going to be weeks, possibly months before she fully recovered. She was pale, exhausted, but Hoshi had said she would be all right. Bakuub and the others excused themselves, leaving the newborn with their parents.

“You should rest,” Bhu’ja said, raking his fingers through her hair.

“The baby-”

He hesitantly held out his hands, fairly sure that the pup itself was only slightly larger than one of his palms. Aya smiled, carefully placing the newborn into his arms. Realistically he only needed one, maybe even just half of one of his arms, but they just, were so _frail_. At least to him.

Bhu’ja supported the pup’s head and neck, making sure the head was resting against his chest. The tiny creature made a small noise. Gods, the pup was so _light_. 

Had Aya been like this once? She had said all ooman pups were fairly similar, so she had to have been like this when she was small. How had such strength grown from something so breakable? Yet, this was also Aya’s child, so such strength resided in her blood. The infant certainly shared Aya's appearance, especially the eyes. Those eyes had fire in them. This one wasn’t full of anger or wrath as their mother was, but he knew should anyone cross them as they grew up…

Aya had wanted Bhu’ja to give the pup a yautja name, while she gave them a ooman one.

“What do you think of Ze'rei?” he asked quietly.

Aya had almost fallen asleep, cause guilt to curl in his stomach. She gave him an odd look. “You want to name her ‘fire’?”

“Do you not like it?”

“I didn’t say that. I just wasn’t expecting it. It’s a good name.” He sat on the bed next to Aya,about to purr so she would fall asleep more easily, when she murmured, “Jen.”

“Jen?”

“It’s a name that can be used for multiple genders and cultures.” Ah, she was following her bloodline’s traditions. Her voice was growing more faint from her exhaustion. “It has many meanings, but my favorite one is ‘fair phantom’.”

So, he named the pup after Aya, and Aya named them after him.

“It’s a good name,” he said, repeating her words back to her.

When he looked back, Aya was sound asleep. He placed a hand on her on the side of her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheekbone before trying to tuck back a stray hair. Her face turned into his palm, fingers twitching as she sighed.

Bhu’ja heard the pup make another small noise. He stood up quietly, watching as Aya fell into a deeper slumber before walking silently in the room. The movement calmed the pup, her own eyes to close as her breathing deepened.

Bending down, he pressed his forehead against the pup's, purring once more.

He didn’t know what was going to happen in the future, but he knew he would be there.

He would be there for both of them.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and leaving comments!
> 
> There is a planned prequel and sequel, but it may be a while before I write or update any of them due to certain events going on. 
> 
> PS I tried to give hints that Aya was entering the first stages of labor for at least a day if not more in the beginning of the chapter, but it hadn't really clicked for her. Sorry if that wasn't clear enough.

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank elven_prophecy for giving me advice for future chapters and beta reading some of the work on this.


End file.
